A woman's heart
by KrystalFlare
Summary: "They say a woman's love is warmer than the sun; that her care is more soothing than the best medicine; that her pain is bitterer than the strongest poison; that her hatred is sharper than any sword. They say a woman's feelings run deep – deeper than the sea. And not many are those brave enough to delve into the depths of a woman's heart..." – Aragorn
1. Author's Note

Hello, hello, lovelies~

Well, here we are, at the beginning of a new journey. I hope you're all enjoying _Stringing a bow_ , my _Hobbit_ fanfiction, and that you'll enjoy this ride just as much as that one. I know I said that I wouldn't start uploading this story until I was done with _Stringing a bow_ , but I just couldn't have any more patience.

Now, before I let you read the beginning of this story, I will ask you to read this entire note, as I have pointed out some important things that you all need to be aware of before you delve into my story. I know this will be tedious and that you're all eager to just sink your teeth into this fanfic, but it is very important, darlings; I wouldn't have bothered to write this Author's Note if it wasn't important, trust me.

So with that being said, here's what you need to know:

1\. This story – like _Stringing a bow_ and _Timeless_ – **will be an OC insertion**. For those who are still unclear on the meaning of that, it means that the main storyline will follow the canon _Lord of the Rings_ story and an original character will be inserted into that story. Of course, I will **not** resume myself to just the canon story, as those who have read the two fics I mentioned above already know; I will also have quite some chunks of original story which will "complete" the canon storyline for my fic.

2\. The pairing I have chosen for this story **will be Aragorn/OC**. I know it's been done over and over before, but I'm hoping that I can still bring something new with my story, that the readers can still enjoy. Which brings me to my next point...

3\. **This story will be an AU (Alternate Universe) where Arwen does not exist** ; I am sorry for those who were hoping to catch a glimpse of her. The problem is that I love the canon pairing Aragorn/Arwen too much and I just feel it would be much too cruel to have them both in the same story, and not have them together. So the only way I feel it would be possible for Aragorn to even think of loving another woman would be for him to not meet Arwen at all. And I had literally no way of doing that, other than removing her completely from the storyline. So I apologize to everyone who was hoping to see how I would portray Arwen in my story, but I simply could not have her in the story without eventually having her and Aragorn being a couple.

4\. While some may dislike it, **I will try to keep a balance between the books and the movies** – as I did with _Stringing a bow_ – which means, for example, that some characters which in the movies had to be sacrificed for lack of time, will show up in this story; I'm referring here mainly to Halbarad, Aragorn's cousin, although Imrahil might also make an appearance like in the books. The reason for this is that if I would follow the books and rule out the movies completely, the story would be far too long to be enjoyable. And having watched the movies as many times as I have until now, I know that Peter Jackson did an outstanding job of capturing the essence of the books. It is such a rare case where I enjoy a movie based on a book, but the _Lord of the Rings_ movies were indeed exceptional and I thoroughly enjoy them each time I watch them.

5\. Unlike _Stringing a bow_ , where I pointed out Elvish simply by writing the speech in both italics and bolded letters, **in this story I will have actual Elvish phrases**. Thus, at the end of each chapter where Elvish is used – right before I post the replies to my reviewers – you will find a small glossary with the English translations of all phrases. So don't fret about not understanding what the characters are saying in a scene or another, I will provide you with all you need to know. And this leads me to the next point...

6\. Even if it may not seem so, I have spent quite some time over the years studying Elvish before actually deciding to use it in my story. I have read some studies which people have made based on the information Tolkien provided regarding Elvish as an actual language with grammar and syntax rules; I have sought out the most accurate dictionaries and translators I could find. So trust that every phrase I use in this story – other than the ones used in the movies, which are by default considered to be correct – has been carefully worded and carefully studied to be as correct as possible. Now, I am human (do keep that in mind as well) so I am not infallible; there may be some errors here and there... I trust that anyone who spots an error will let me know in a civilized and constructive manner. And on this note, we get to the last point in my little list...

7\. I have been a Tolkien fan and a fan of his masterpiece, which is _The Lord of the Rings_ , for twelve years now. I have read the books I think at least twenty times until now, and I have watched the movies at least twice that number of times. Why am I telling you this? Because I need you to know that **I know what I'm writing** and I know Middle Earth well enough to know what I'm doing with this story. So if anything seems different from the canon universe, it's most likely deliberate; I will take artistic license in some regards. I encourage you all to point out what might seem like an error on my part, because if it is deliberate in my reply to you I will say that it is so and I will also explain why I chose to do it like that, so that everyone can understand the inner workings of the story. And I encourage you to point them out, because as I said I am human... some of those supposed errors might be actual errors which I will gladly correct via an explanation in my reply to your review.

Soo I think that's about everything I wanted to let you guys know before you set out on this journey with me. I apologize if this read was tedious, but I do hope you all have heeded my request and have actually read it, because it is important. This is a story I have dreamt of writing for years, but only now do I feel I have reached a good enough level in my writing skills to actually attempt it... the reason for this is that I want to pay proper homage to the genius that was J.R.R. Tolkien and I want to try capturing as much of his story's "vibe" as possible. So if any of the above points are a pet peeve for someone... ye be warned, read this story at your own risk.

But without further ado let's get started, shall we, darlings? ;)


	2. The shores of Anfalas

Just a quick reminder, darlings, I will be posting replies to reviews at the end of each chapter as I got you all used with Timeless and Stringing a bow.

Also, just in case you're wondering about the story cover, that is the image I chose for Leeya, the female OC in the story. I know I probably got you used to covers which show the male of the pairing, but I thought I'd go for something different this time around... besides, everyone reading this knows very well what Aragorn looks like - at the very least I hope you do xD

So with that said, don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think :D

Enjoy, lovelies~ ;)

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **1\. The shores of Anfalas**

 _ **~ T.A. 2960 ~**_

It was a dark day along the deserted beaches of Anfalas; barely past midday and yet the environment was shrouded in a twilight veil, as heavy storm clouds coiled in the sky like snakes ready to strike. Howling winds mercilessly whipped at any obstacle in their path like tiny icy daggers; the ocean was restless, its huge waves breaking furiously against the shore like a wild animal trying to escape its cage. Yet for all the unleashed fury of nature, one lone figure was standing upon the sand looking out over the sea. The dark green hood and cloak did little against the wind, but the young man didn't seem to mind, apparently lost somewhere in the depths of his thoughts.

"I had a feeling I would find you here."

The elderly voice startled the hooded figure, which now turned to watch what looked like an old man approaching, bearing a wooden staff in his right hand, his left one holding the pointy hat upon his head.

"I needed some solitude with my thoughts." the young Ranger smiled lightly in reply.

Once more averting his sapphire gaze to the waves, he heaved a sigh whilst the wizard stopped next to him.

"What troubles you, Aragorn?"

"Nothing..."

With a slight shake of his head he then turned to look at the wizard again.

"And everything... it has been nine years since Lord Elrond revealed my true lineage to me. I fear that I will fail, as Isildur failed before."

With his concern fading, the Maia was left to smile under his mustache as he leaned on his staff.

"I cannot tell what your future will bring, Aragorn. But I am certain you will have the wisdom to surpass any challenge that lies before you."

Lowering his eyes to the sands for a moment, Aragorn yet again averted his gaze to the waves... and that was when he caught a fleeting glimpse of something which perked his attention, causing him to narrow his eyes as he tried to discern what he had seen.

"Gandalf... do you see something in the water?"

Arching his brows at the sudden change of subject, the wizard too averted his gaze seaward, but shook his head.

"Not really..." he muttered.

Stepping away from him, the Ranger approached the water's edge until the angry waves now engulfed his feet up to the ankles; his efforts of straining his gaze were soon rewarded when the ocean once more showed him what he had spotted before – a fairly large piece of wood, most likely from a sunken ship, drifting upon the boiling waters. And barely clinging to it...

"There is someone out there!"

His urgent tone mingled with the sound of his sword hitting the sand, followed by his cloak, just before he rushed forward without hesitation.

"Aragorn!"

Gandalf's call came too late to stop the young Ranger, and so the wizard was left to raise his staff and begin chanting an Elvish spell to calm the raging sea until his friend returned to the safety of the shore.

It took no more than a minute for Aragorn's body to protest at the strain put on it by the icy waters. Not long after, he found that his willpower was the only thing that kept him going. As he approached he finally discerned that what he had seen was a child... a small girl. He could tell by her expression that she was exhausted from fighting the unleashed sea, and yet he could not help but marvel at her endurance. And then, right before his eyes a wave crashed on top of her, sweeping her off the wooden plate and sending her beneath the surface.

Without hesitation he drew in a breath and dived into the darkened waters, frantically searching for her. For a moment he lost control of his own body as the water weighed down on him, pushing him toward the bottom, but he soon found a calmer current and regained his balance. His strength quickly began to fail and his lungs soon started burning from lack of air. He was just about to head up for a breath, but as fate would have it he finally felt her tiny body thrown into his arms by the churning waters. Without a second thought he pulled her to the surface only to find that she had lost consciousness.

Forcing his body onward, he only stopped when he felt the bottom of the sea beneath his feet. Slightly trembling from the cold winds that now veiled and clung to his wet body, and heaving from the effort, he stepped back onto the beach whilst cradling the small girl. Setting her on the sand he knelt next to her and leaned down, listening for breath; when he found none, he opened her mouth and placed his lips over hers, forcefully exhaling into her lungs until she finally started coughing up water. Rolling her onto her side to keep her from choking, he now soothingly rubbed her arm whilst Gandalf approached them, bearing Aragorn's sword and cloak.

"We had best return to camp for now... she needs warmth, and most likely food and water."

Nodding in agreement, the Ranger once more set his eyes upon the child when she moved, only to find himself unable to hold back his voice.

"Amazing..." he muttered, before even fully realizing what he was saying.

What had earned that reaction from him was the unusual color of her eyes; a grayish-blue much like the steel of his blade, outlined by luscious black lashes and set on a fair, heart-shaped face adorned with silky strands of ebony hair. He had not noticed in all the commotion of saving her life, but her features held a strangely familiar tone... one he had not seen in a very long time; one that reminded him of his mother. By her looks she was small, most likely no older than seven or eight springs... and she looked so fragile that Aragorn found himself once again astounded that she had somehow survived the raging waves.

When he leaned away from her, however, the girl grabbed onto his vest and curled against his side; she was still trembling and Aragorn was certain it was not just from the cold wind. Making his best attempt to keep a calm tone so as to not further frighten her, he now lowered a hand onto her shoulder which he rubbed lightly.

"Can you speak, little one?"

"You saved me... did you not?"

Her unexpected question left him at a loss for words, until she looked up at him with those mesmerizing eyes causing him to instinctively tighten his hold on her – what was this unusual desire he felt to keep her safe? She was certainly not the first child he had ever seen, but never had he felt such attachment toward one before.

"I did..." he finally smiled warmly. "How did you get out there?"

"Our ship sank in the storm last night... everyone was taken by the waves. I do not know what happened to them..."

Lowering her eyes, she bit into her tongue to hold back from crying. She did not want to upset the man who had saved her life, after all; what startled her was the feeling of his hand gently weighing down on her head and stroking her wet hair.

"And your parents?" Gandalf asked.

"They were on the ship as well... likely, they too were claimed by the sea." she muttered.

Lightly shaking his head, the wizard now pulled the hat over his eyes, muttering a few words of prayer for the unfortunate souls while Aragorn moved to stand, once more cradling the child.

"Do you have a name, little one?"

"Leeya... what is yours?"

"I am Aragorn." he stated, making his best attempt at a comforting smile.

"Aragorn..." she repeated in a whisper, watching him with a contemplative gaze as if trying to recall something.

When he offered her a puzzled look in return, she merely cuddled into his chest and hid her face against his clothes.

 **= oOoOo =**

It was quite some time before they finally reached the well guarded camp that the Rangers had set near the shores and Leeya now curiously glanced around, seeming to have forgotten the ordeal she had been through on that very same day. Everywhere she looked, she could only see tall, lean figures of Men wearing dark green cloaks, their bright eyes shining in shades of emerald or sapphire beneath the tall foreheads, their slim faces encased by raven or chestnut strands. She counted thirty men, of which some were gathered around a lively campfire singing an Elvish ballad, others seated to the side sharpening their swords, or stringing bows and mending arrows.

A few horses were tied to an improvised wooden lean-to, the others grazing nearby. It was such an intimate atmosphere of brotherhood, that Leeya felt the very heart in her chest twitch, as though she was home again. What drew her out of her contemplation was the feeling of a horse's muzzle snorting in her hair, the animal's breath tickling her neck and making her giggle.

"Easy, Roheryn..." Aragorn smiled, causing the stallion to perk his ears.

Taking another moment to sniff through her hair, the horse leaned away when his master gently nudged his head away with one shoulder, returning to the hay set in front of him. However, that brief encounter had already drawn the attention of another Ranger who now approached the trio.

"A Hobbit so far from the Shire?" he asked, glancing to the small bundle of flesh cradled in Aragorn's arms.

Shying away under his blue gaze, Leeya merely hid her face in Aragorn's clothes again.

"This is no Hobbit..." Gandalf retorted in amusement. "Your cousin nearly drowned fishing her out of the sea."

Offering only a humble smile in reply, Aragorn himself took to gently rubbing the girl's shoulder.

"You need not fear, little one... this is Halbarad, my cousin."

"Courageous as a King of old, I see." the young Ranger chuckled.

"Not at all..." Aragorn replied, his main focus still on the child in his arms.

At his words Leeya finally gathered her courage and once more revealed her face, making Halbarad arch a brow in surprise.

"Then she surely is an Elf with such marvelous eyes." he stated admiringly.

"I am not an Elf..." the girl answered, shaking her head.

Reaching out, Halbarad gingerly grasped her chin and tilted her head up to see her eyes better.

"You cannot be human..." he muttered in disbelief.

Reaching around his arm, the girl now pulled her hair back to reveal her ears.

"I am no Elf." she insisted.

Smiling at his cousin's bewilderment, Aragorn merely stepped away from him and set the girl next to the fire, wrapping a thick blanket around her. When she averted her curious gaze to the singing Rangers, the men choked on the lyrics at the sight of her eyes shimmering in the light like liquid silver, a few others chortling briefly at their friends' predicament.

"What will you do with her, Aragorn?"

Looking up to see Halbarad standing near them with Gandalf, the Ranger lightly shook his head, only mildly aware that the girl had pinned her gaze upon his face.

"I have not yet decided..."

Slightly narrowing his eyes, Halbarad's brow furrowed for a brief moment.

"You cannot possibly be thinking of keeping her, are you?"

"I will resolve by tomorrow." he stated with a tone of finality in his voice.

"Aragorn, we cannot care for a child... we are always moving from place to place. Orcs are still roaming freely everywhere, Goblins are increasing in numbers and there is word of Trolls growing bold enough to come down from the mountains once again. She would not be safe with us..."

Having already parted his lips to answer, the young Ranger blinked when Leeya's small fingers trailed along his cheek. Turning to her, he offered a questioning gaze to her bitter smile.

"I do not wish to be a burden..." she said, lowering her eyes. "Please... leave me wherever you choose."

Silently Aragorn now set his arms around her small form, holding her to his chest. Sunset found him seated against a wide tree, the child on his lap and fast asleep in his arms. He had offered her his meal, but oddly enough he felt no hunger despite having lacked food since the previous day. Her words still turned and twisted in his mind, as he watched her peaceful sleeping features. He wished to take care of her, but he knew his cousin's words to be right; she would be placed in far too much danger around them.

Seated near the fire with Halbarad, Gandalf watched the two with a bemused smile beneath his gray moustache. The glimpse he had caught of the child's inner strength – as well as his own intuition – led him to a conclusion... she had to be one of the Dúnedain. But he would not reveal his thoughts to Aragorn or to the others, until he could be sure that he had not been mistaken; after all, it was not in his nature to offer vain hopes. His contemplation was severed, however, when Halbarad finally spoke.

"Look at him..." the young Ranger stated with a slight smile. "He is younger than I am, yet he would already be a much better father."

"Aragorn did not know his father as a child, save for Lord Elrond; perhaps it is his way of trying to make up for that. I am quite sure that you will be a good father one day as well, Halbarad."

Falling silent the Ranger settled his gaze into a contemplative shade, before finally turning back to the fire. It was soon that Aragorn stood, cradling the girl and placing her near the warmth of the flames, wrapping her in his blanket. Setting a hand on her head, he then spoke on a low tone.

"I will leave in the morning and take her to Imladris. My mother and Lord Elrond will take good care of her."

Looking up to his cousin, he exhaled a soft sigh.

"I will meet you in Edoras, fourteen days from now."

 **= oOoOo =**

Later that night Aragorn was seated upon a small log near the fire, still watching the sleeping girl.

"Do not regret your decision to leave her."

Startled by Gandalf's voice, the young Ranger looked up to see the wizard smiling gently upon him before the Maia sat next to him, taking off his pointy hat.

"She will be safe in Rivendell with Lord Elrond. And she will be waiting for you to return."

Averting his sapphire eyes to the child again, Aragorn offered a light nod and a trace of smile. He knew it in his heart that they were right, but still... no, he could not be selfish and keep her with them. A group of Rangers was no place for a child, and he knew too well the threats his cousin had reminded him of, earlier that evening. Yes, the safest place to keep her was Rivendell...

With the light of morning, the Rangers began preparations to leave for Rohan, Leeya soon stirring in her sleep. Moments after she sat up Halbarad knelt next to her, offering her a bit of cold fried meat and an apple.

"Eat..." he said gently.

"Thank you."

Retrieving the food from the Ranger's hands, she then glanced around at the men who were making haste in gathering their belongings and readying their horses, none of them casting her even one glance anymore. And she felt so out of place... like an unwanted burden that they were being forced to carry along. She longed for her parents and she did not want to be in anyone's way. Briefly looking to Halbarad when he stood and left her side to saddle his own horse, she finally spotted Aragorn checking the harness on Roheryn. Once he was done, he lightly patted his stallion's mane before finally turning to see her watching him.

"Leeya, come..." he called, holding out his hand to her.

Standing, the girl now hurried to his side. When Roheryn leaned down to sniff her hair, she giggled and offered him the apple. Snorting lightly, he sniffed at it for a moment before accepting it. Smiling, Aragorn now lifted the child and placed her in the saddle, while Roheryn was busy munching on his treat. Finally he sat behind her, his arms reaching along her sides to tug on the bridles and turn Roheryn around. Steering him out of the enclosed ravine, he now watched as the other Rangers galloped past them, heading out across the plains toward the northeastern part of the Ered Nimrais, which separated them from Rohan.

"Then, we shall be waiting for you in Edoras." Halbarad stated before urging his horse onwards, to catch up to the others.


	3. Journey to Rivendell

Sooo here's the newest chapter, darlings. I know it took a bit, but as some of you have noticed, I just couldn't stop my brain from practically forcing me to start the sequel for _Timeless_. For now I'm going to try and keep this story going as well, but if it gets to the point where my mind will just become a tangled mess again, I will have to put it on hold for a bit while I work on my Loki story. Because I don't want to half-ass either of the stories and I also have to finish _Stringing a bow_ , which I haven't updated in forever - and I don't want to risk getting into another writer's block because I focused on too many things at once and got all scatterbrained.

So with that said, I'm hoping the beginning of this story wasn't too bumpy and that you all found at least something to enjoy in the first chapter. But I won't rant on, just don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think :D

Enjoy, lovelies~ ;)

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **2\. Journey to Rivendell**

 _"Then we will be waiting for you in Edoras."_

 **= oOo =**

Offering the child a smile, Gandalf followed the Dúnedain on his own stallion leaving Leeya to look up at Aragorn with a puzzled gaze.

"Are you not going with them?"

Silently the Ranger steered Roheryn straight toward the North, his focus now divided between the child in his arms and their surroundings. Even with the horse galloping, a well aimed arrow could still be deadly. Sensing the tension in his muscles Leeya fell silent and chose to finally eat what was left of her breakfast, knowing she would get no more food until Aragorn considered it was safe to stop and rest.

The rest of that day passed without a word between them, the only sounds she could hear being Roheryn's hoofs hitting the earth, his slight snorts as his lungs battled to provide his body with enough air and the wind whipping around them. When twilight veiled them, they entered the thick forests near the mountains and Aragorn finally relaxed to an extent.

"Tell me, Leeya..." he said, startling the girl. "Have you ever seen the Elves?"

Once more lowering her gaze, the girl's expression settled into a soft, melancholic smile.

"Yes... many of them passed by the island where I lived, on their way to the Undying Lands. They were so beautiful... and so kind. My father tended to the harbor and the ships that came there. Many of the Elves who passed through that harbor spoke of Middle Earth and the peoples that live here."

A short while later, she was seated near a small fire, leaning against Aragorn's side as he gently stroke her back to keep her warm. His own thoughts, however, were restless. Was it possible that the island in her story was a remnant of the long lost kingdom of Númenor?

"There was one ship that arrived in the harbor, a few days before we left the island." she said without warning, startling him. "The Elves who came with it spoke of you."

Turning her gaze up to the young man, she pinned her eyes on his.

"You are one of the Dúnedain...?"

"I am." he stated humbly.

Wordless afterwards, he watched as her gaze lit up, her small hands reaching for one of his own and grasping it in shaky fingers whilst her voice took on an eagerness which left him in awe.

"Then please... do not send me away... I will learn anything I must, so as to not burden you!"

Her begging tone and the tears twinkling in her eyes left him speechless at first; but then he offered her a reassuring smile and trailed the back of his fingers along her cheek to wipe off the salty drops.

"Leeya... where I am taking you is the safest place I know. No harm will ever come to you there, you have my word."

And still, while his mind turned over her thoughts and reactions, one thought came to him and now would not give him any peace.

"Leeya..."

As if she had read his mind and knew what he was about to ask, the young girl merely nodded; at that his eyes slightly widened and his calloused hand finally returned her grasp.

"You are indeed one of us?" he whispered in disbelief.

"Mother and father were always proud of our bloodline; there were few families like us left on that island, and so the others held us in high regard. They said we were descended from a great kingdom of the old days."

Settling down from his awe, Aragorn instinctively tightened his hold on her, glancing around once more with a sharpened gaze.

"You must not speak of this to anyone else, do you understand me?" he said gently. "There are many in Middle Earth who despise the Dúnedain, and who would kill you for being one."

Once more looking up at him, the girl tilted her head questioningly.

"Why do they hate us? The Elves said you and the others are the ones to keep the peace here. Why would they hate you for that?"

"Promise me, first... and then I will tell you more of Middle Earth."

"I... I promise..." she replied slightly hesitantly.

Once again relaxing, Aragorn now moved his hand from her back to the top of her head, lightly stroking her hair whilst he started talking.

"Many thousands of years ago, the Rings of Power were brought to Middle Earth and divided among the three dominant races that lived here. Three were given to the Elves, seven to the Dwarves and nine to the race of Men. The rings brought prosperity and wisdom to the three races. Some time afterwards, Sauron crossed the sea and came to Middle Earth, wishing to have dominion over it. In secret, he traveled to Mordor, and in the fires of Mount Doom he forged the One Ring, in which he imbedded all his power and all his cruelty. It was a ring so powerful, that it surpassed all the other Rings of Power."

"Why did he want to rule all of Middle Earth? Could he not simply live in peace with the other races?"

"I asked Lord Elrond the same questions when he first told me this story." the young Ranger replied with a light smile. "But I have no answer to that, little one. That is only for Sauron to know."

Silence veiled them for a bit, whilst Aragorn gathered his thoughts and continued.

"Three thousand years ago, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell one by one to the power of Sauron's Ring. It was then that the Elves forged an alliance with Men, and together they faced Sauron and his armies. At that time Elendil was King of Gondor, and Gil-galad of the Elves was at his side in battle. After Sauron killed Elendil, his son, Isildur, took up his father's sword and cut the Ring from Sauron's hand, defeating him. Lord Elrond, who took part in that battle, then led Isildur into the heart of Mount Doom, urging him to destroy the Ring and remove Sauron's threat from Middle Earth once and for all..."

His voice trailed off, his sapphire gaze now piercing the dancing flames. However, the soft touch of Leeya's fingers on his cheek startled him, bringing him back from his thoughts to the sight of her saddened expression in which he could see grief and understanding far beyond her years.

"He did not destroy it... did he?" she whispered, as if already knowing what he would answer but dreading to hear it nonetheless.

"No, he did not. You see, the Ring has a will of its own. It knew that by surviving, so would its master's spirit. And Men, out of all races, are the easiest to seduce and control. Isildur kept the Ring, and soon the Ring led him to his death. The line of Kings failed and the people of Gondor fell into ruin. The Ring was lost into the waters of the Anduin, and was most likely washed out into the sea."

"And Sauron?"

"With the Ring still out there it is likely that he has survived, but he would have lost all his powers; he would be nothing more than a wraith now."

"And what happened to the other rings?"

"The three are still in Middle Earth; Lord Elrond bears of one of them. The seven given to the Dwarves have passed out of all knowledge. And the nine..."

As he reached that point in his answer, even he could not hold back a light sigh; it had always hurt to speak of it, now that he knew his true heritage, because it made him feel as if he had been the one to fail.

"The nine Kings of Men still have their rings." he finally spoke. "They are now servants of Sauron; they fell to the power of the One Ring and have become the Nazgûl... the Ring Wraiths..."

Lowering her gaze, Leeya now set her small hands onto one of Aragorn's – as if trying to offer what comfort she could – and fell silent for a while, mulling over his words; she spent some time watching the ring he bore, until at long last she remembered that she had seen it before in a drawing upon an old parchment, when one of the Elves had spoken to her of Gondor.

"The ring of Barahir..." she muttered, her slender finger tracing one of the twin serpents coiled around his finger.

Raising her gaze to him, she yet again pinned her steel gaze on his, a renewed shade of awe having settled on her expression.

"You are the heir of Isildur... should you not be King in Gondor?"

"It is not my desire to be King. I am content with helping the peoples of Middle Earth from the shadows."

"Are you afraid to fail, as Isildur failed before you?"

Blinking at her words, the Ranger fell utterly silent; for her to be so young and to so easily be able to read him... it sent a slight shiver along his spine to think of what she could become in a few years' time, with the proper training and care.

"I am..." he finally admitted.

"Why are you afraid? You are Isildur's heir... not Isildur himself."

Again falling silent, Aragorn found that he had no answer to her question. Why _was_ he afraid, in the end...?

However, his lips soon curved into a gentle smile as he wordlessly reached for her, bringing the child onto his lap and wrapping his cloak around her. Later that night he was watching her as she slept in his arms, his thoughts still on her last words. He still failed to find the root of his fears, and again that brought a shade of smile to his lips.

"I did not expect to find such wisdom in a child." he whispered, prior to placing a soft kiss to her forehead.

Finally his thoughts turned to the journey still ahead of them. He could not risk passing through Dunland while he had the child with him... the people there hated Rangers just as much as they hated the Rohirrim. Ultimately, he decided on following the line of the Ered Nimrais toward the Fords of Isen, and keep to the North-South Road from there up until the Tharbad bridge. He could then stick to the eastern banks of the Bruinen, straight up to Rivendell. By his reckoning, it would take six days to reach Imladris from their current location, if they galloped from dawn to dusk each day. And from Rivendell to Edoras it would take him another seven days, which meant he would have one day's time of rest in Elrond's house.

He spent the rest of the night reviewing the chosen path and searching his memory for any threats he had encountered along that way. It was true that the pureblooded Dúnedain were dwindling in numbers by now, and women of their race were even scarcer. In fact, to his knowledge, Leeya was now the only pureblooded Dúnedain woman in Middle Earth, aside from his mother. It would have been a terrible thing if the child somehow lost her life, before marrying and having children of her own to keep the blood of Númenor alive.

By dawn he had concluded that the route he had chosen was indeed the safest there was. When the sky turned from black to red, signaling that sunrise was close, he stood whilst cradling the girl. With the fire having died out earlier, he now moved toward Roheryn who was already scratching at the earth with his front hoof, eager to go. His snort awoke the girl, just before Aragorn placed her in the saddle. Reaching into the bag tied to the horse's side, he offered her a little bread and dried meat. While she was silently eating, he now settled behind her and lightly tugged on the reins.

It was the only sign Roheryn needed, to lunge out into a gallop through the trees. At times like this, Aragorn was truly grateful for his stallion's great endurance and unshakable loyalty. Dúnedain horses were as rare as their masters, but they could live just as long and the bonds between them often lasted for a lifetime.

 **= oOoOo =**

The growing night found them near the Fords of Isen, Roheryn thoroughly enjoying the cold waters of the river.

"I am going hunting..." Aragorn said, retrieving his bow and arrows. "Stay here and do not light the fire until I come back."

Before leaving them, however, he reached out and gently patted the side of Roheryn's face.

"Take care of her." he said gently, his words earning him a snort in reply.

Two hours later, Leeya was seated near the water, muttering a song she had learned from the Elves. Roheryn, who had listened to her until then, now perked his ears and turned his head toward a part of the forest. When he nervously began scratching at the earth with his front hoof, the girl moved to her feet, instinctively stepping closer to the animal's side.

"What is it?" she whispered.

As much as she strained her eyes she could not see a thing, and she prayed that it was not a hungry wolf or some other wild beast. The sounds of twigs cracking soon reached her ears, sending a shiver along her spine.

"Ara-...?" she called out.

Before she could finish saying his name, Roheryn neighed lightly and pushed against her stomach with his muzzle, nearly making her fall to the ground and at the same time silencing her. Perking his ears once more, he again turned to look toward that part of the forest and snorted angrily, prior to pushing her back for a second time. He did so several times until Leeya finally understood that he was urging her toward the nearby bushes. Was he telling her to hide...?

Within moments coarse voices reached them, talking in a language she could not understand. The sheer malice she could sense from the tones and words themselves, however, were enough to convince her they were neither Men nor Elves. Grabbing the bridles, she sought to hide in the tall greenery, Roheryn following her without resistance. As the group approached carrying several torches, she recognized the words to be spoken in the Common Tongue the Elves had taught to her; and yet they sounded so odd and almost unrecognizable amidst the guttural growls and croaking.

Finally, when they stepped into her field of vision, she could see the dark skinned, deformed shapes of ten Orcs, and it was by sheer fortune that their loud voices covered the surprised sound which escaped her lips. With her shoulder pressed against Roheryn's side, she could feel the stallion's muscles tensing when the group stopped near the river, sniffing at the air.

"I smell Man flesh." one of them crooned.

Leeya's eyes widened in terror when they spread around searching the area and her every thought turned to Aragorn. Roheryn was too big for her to climb in the saddle without help and it did not take too long for one of the Orcs to hack away part of the bushes and spot her. When he grinned and raised his sword again, Roheryn pranced with a loud, menacing neigh – forsaking what safety the bushes still provided for him – smashing his front hooves into the Orc's face. By the time the creature had fallen to the ground with his head split in two, the stallion had moved in between her and the rest of the group that was now approaching them.

The first one to try and impale the horse fell to his knees with an arrow sticking out of his neck. Three others met similar deaths before Aragorn finally came from amidst the trees with a battle cry that startled the group, a torch in his left hand. The flames shined coldly on the blade of his sword when he raised his right arm to parry one of the Orcs who had now turned their attention to him. Rushing to aid his master, Roheryn disposed of another Orc by pushing him to the ground and trampling him to death. The remaining ones soon fell under Aragorn's blade, the Ranger then gathering the corpses and setting them on fire.

"Well done, my friend..." he smiled, patting Roheryn's flank.

Finally, he turned to Leeya – still rooted to the spot where the Orc would have cut her down – who all but ran into his arms when he called to her. In spite of his instincts urging him to go, he took a few minutes to hold her and stroke her hair, whispering soothing Elvish words into her ear so as to drive away her fright.

"Come... we must leave this place." he said before setting her in the saddle again.

He could not risk staying there, after all, now that Orcs had found them; others could possibly be around, and they needed a safer place to rest that night. Choosing to spare Roheryn for a while, he now grasped the bridles walking alongside the horse until they finally arrived at the road. It was not quite to his liking to travel in the open like that, but it would make threats easier to see; and, for now at least, that advantage outweighed the risk of them being easier targets to spot.

In the end he opted not to rest anymore, thus he followed the road throughout the night and the next day. At sunset he chose to stop, but Roheryn urged him on; knowing to trust his stallion's instincts, he moved into the saddle, the horse lunging into a mad gallop just moments before another pack of Orcs dashed through the trees. They tried to follow, but their feet were no match for Roheryn's speed and they soon gave up the chase.

Soon reaching the Tharbad Bridge, Aragorn now steered Roheryn away from the road, following the line of the river. After passing Swanfleet, the stallion finally settled down enough to rest. During the last three days of their journey Aragorn spoke little, his focus now mostly turned toward their surroundings. Only when they approached Bears' Ford, did it become obvious that the Orcs were no longer hunting them.

At long last, when the sun had started setting on the sixth day, Leeya's eyes fell upon Rivendell for the first time while Roheryn's hoofs now resounded on the stone which paved the narrow bridge and the front yard of Elrond's home. Inhaling deeply after dismounting, Aragorn smiled in a way Leeya had not seen before. It was there that he truly seemed to have forgotten all his worries and fears; it was a soothing, beautiful side of him that the girl found herself wishing to see more often.

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1\. **TMI Fairy** \- I'll start this reply by saying thank you so much for taking the time to review and thank you, again, for actually heeding my request and pointing out the things you considered to be incorrect. As I said, I want people to ask me if something I wrote is correct or not - if they feel it's not - because it gives me the chance to explain what I meant when I wrote those things so that everyone can understand. So I'll structure my reply based on each of the tidbits you pointed out.

a) I felt as if Aragorn wouldn't really consider a child he just saved from drowning, to be a threat, so I didn't want him to be exaggeratedly tense and defensive around her. If she had been older, I would have definitely had him introduce himself as Thorongil and she would have only later found out his real name. As for the others... well Halbarad is his cousin so it's only natural that he would know his own family's real names, Gandalf is just... Gandalf, he knows everything anyway (and yes that may sound like a childish explanation, but there's something about Gandalf I can just never put into words correctly). At the same time, I have a bit of a hard time imagining he would keep his real name a secret amidst the other Rangers, given that they are the last remnants of his people in Middle Earth (and I mean here the pureblooded Dunedain, not the people of Gondor which over time mixed with other races of Men). I may be wrong, but from what I've read of the Rangers, they had a very strong code of honor so I really don't believe Aragorn would be weary of them to the point where he would hide his name.

b) Yes, and he will be called Thorongil "out in the open" so to speak. Although I will probably not focus too much on the years before 3019, simply because the information I have about those years is much too incomplete and I'm not sure if I should venture into completing that picture with my own imagination. Also, I am still working out the finer inner workings for Leeya's character so I don't want to push her to the front lines too much, just yet.

c) If you read carefully, I never stated anywhere that Aragorn was the leader of the Ranger group. In fact, I think he was much too young back then to lead them, so I would imagine Halbarad (who is older than Aragorn) or another even older Ranger would be leading them. Now, if I recall right Aragorn and the Rangers served not only Thengel of Rohan, but also Ecthelion of Gondor, Denethor's father, so it wouldn't be too out of place for the Rangers to be in Gondorian territories as well, not just in Rohan.

d) Umm I'm actually confused as to why you pointed this out, because I didn't state anywhere that Anfalas is not part of Gondor. I have studied a map of Gondor and I know the shoreline belongs to them, so yeah... I'm not really sure why you pointed this out. Maybe if you could be a bit more specific as to what about this you found out of place, I could give a better explanation.

e) Yeah, this might sound like I'm taking the cowardly way out, but I will explain myself by starting with something that may seem like it's not connected. As I said, I will try to keep a balance between the books and the movie universe. So why does this matter, you may ask... well, if you recall, in the first movie when Arwen left with Frodo for Rivendell, they got there in one day when Sam clearly said just a few hours before Arwen found them, that they were six days away from Rivendell. But before I go on with my explanation I'll just throw out my own theory for debate: now if I recall right, it would have taken the Fellowship 40 days of walking to get from Rivendell to the Gap of Rohan (given that they took no horses on their trip, just Bill the pony to carry some of their things). I'm pretty sure I may be wrong, but by riding they would have probably cut that amount of time in half at least.

So for my story, I wouldn't say it would be exactly 40 days of riding from Anfalas to Rivendell... maybe 30 though depending on the stallion's speed the number could be even slightly lower, so somewhere in between 25 to 30 days I would say.

Now returning to why I reduced it to only a week, this might sound like a childish explanation, but if an Elven horse can cover a week's distance in one day, why wouldn't a Dunedain horse be able to cover four weeks' distance in one week? The point is, I never really bought the fact that an Elven horse can gallop so fast as to cover six days of travel distance in one day... and in a way I wanted to play on that sort of trick that Peter Jackson did when playing with distances, although I will admit just one week might have been a bit too short amount of time and in that I will accept that I could have done it better.

f) This was a bit harsh, or maybe I just got the wrong feeling from how you worded it. But I believed it would have been obvious to anyone that she wasn't asking him to leave her in the middle of nowhere, because no one would do that unless they're insane. Saying _"leave me wherever you choose"_ meant that she was asking him to leave her in the first village they came across. Also keep in mind that no matter how normal or strong she seemed on the outside, she was still a child who had just lost both her parents and had nearly died herself, so on the inside she was still quite rattled; so I feel it was only natural that she wouldn't be able to constantly speak plainly or to think properly at all times. Also, just because she asked him that, didn't mean she actually wanted to be parted from him, she just didn't want to be a burden on the man who had saved her life. And considering how adamant Halbarad was in trying to convince Aragorn that he couldn't keep a child with them, I don't think it was that out of character for her to say that to him.

g) I actually gave my own explanation to this in the second chapter which you just read. I haven't found enough information to be able to tell if my version fits the canon universe or not, but I like to think it's one of the bits where I took some artistic license with Tolkien's world.

Phew I think that was all, if I happened to miss something, do let me know and I'll happily explain it :)

But to conclude this very long reply, thank you again for taking the time to review and I'm hoping you still enjoyed the first chapter for what it's worth (unless the things you pointed out were too much of a bother for you to want to give this story a chance). If you did, I hope you'll enjoy future chapters just as much - or more - and I hope I'll hear from you again soon :D

2\. **une belle fleur** \- Haha well I actually found quite a few Aragorn stories on this website, but most of them were either of the yaoi genre (which I don't enjoy at all) or just lacked that spark to draw me in and keep me hooked. Far from me to consider that my own story is better, but I still hope everyone will find at least one thing to enjoy over its course.

But thank you so much for the review, darling, and I hope to hear from you again soon :D

3\. **angel897** \- Thank you so much for the compliment. I really hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story as well and that I'll hear from you again soon :D

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


	4. Gift from a King

Soooo just to clarify one thing, so that no one will be confused when reading the story:

 **This** is Elvish

 _'This'_ is transcription of thoughts

 _"This"_ is what I like to call "special speech" such as dreams, flashbacks etc.

Also the next chapter will have quite a large time gap to set it apart from this one, and my explanation for that is in a reply I left in the previous chapter for a review. I don't like repeating myself and I'm sure you guys don't enjoy that either, so go check that reply out (it also explains a lot of inner workings for my story).

So with that out of the way, I hope you're all having fun so far on this journey. Don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think :D

Enjoy, lovelies~

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **3\. Gift from a King**

 _[...] it was a soothing, beautiful side of him that the girl found herself wishing to see more often._

 **= oOo =**

Within minutes since they had passed through the gates, Elrond and Gilraen approached them, the woman embracing her son.

"I did not expect you back so soon." she smiled, placing a kiss onto his forehead.

"I would not have returned yet, mother, if I did not have good reason to stray."

Having pinned her gaze onto the Noble Elf standing a few steps behind, Leeya was startled when Aragorn placed his hands onto her waist, getting her off the stallion's back.

"My Lord Elrond, I would be forever grateful if you would have this child here, as you had me all these years."

Silently watching the girl for a few moments, the Elf then lightly nodded.

"Is she of your race?" he asked, his stern but melodious tone again startling her.

"Yes... her name is Leeya."

Slightly widening her eyes at the unexpected news, Gilraen stepped closer and set her gentle gaze onto the child.

"Where did you find her?"

"I fished her out of the sea a week past... the ship carrying her and her family sank into the storm."

When Leeya raised her gaze to her, Gilraen offered the girl a warm smile. Placing a hand onto her cheek afterwards, the elder woman's expression now took on a sorrowful shade.

"Poor child..."

Moving onto her knees, the woman then gingerly grasped Leeya's hands.

"I know I will never replace your parents... but if you would let me, I will raise you as I raised my own son." she said with a loving smile.

Lowering her gaze when she felt tears in her eyes, the child nodded and returned Gilraen's grasp; how could she refuse such kindness? Where else could she go and hope to survive?

"Thank you..." she whispered.

Releasing her hands, the woman now reached out and embraced the girl, slightly startled when Leeya seemed to give in to the mixture of emotions within her heart and returned her gesture in the act of clinging to her; it was that act which served to remind Aragorn that – no matter how well she had handled herself on the road – she was still a child who had barely lost her parents. Thus even he felt compelled to briefly set a hand onto the girl's head, earning a warm smile from Gilraen.

"Everything will be alright, you will see." she said while soothingly stroking the child's hair.

Standing once the girl seemed to have settled down a bit, she led Leeya inside so as to bathe her and give her some clean clothes. She had always wanted a daughter as well after she had birthed Aragorn, but with her husband's death it had remained only a dream; and now, it seemed, fate had decided to heed her wish. Once the two females had left, Elrond now once more turned to Aragorn.

"How long will you be here this time?"

"Only tomorrow... Halbarad and the others should have already arrived at Edoras. I am to meet them there, after I leave Leeya with you."

Nodding, the Elf held out his hand, motioning the young Ranger inside while another Elf arrived and grasped Roheryn's bridles to lead him to the stables.

Later that night Aragorn was sitting on one of the wide terraces with Leeya placed onto his lap, and a detailed map of Middle Earth spread before them onto the floor.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing to a rather wide area to the northeast.

"That is the Woodland Realm... the dominion of the Elvenking, Thranduil." he smiled over her shoulder.

"Why does the map call it _Mirkwood_ ,then?"

Reaching along her side, the Ranger placed his right index finger on the map, encircling a small area of the forest.

"This is a hillside called Dol Guldur. Long ago, it was Sauron's fortress... it was when the Wood Elves fled to the northern side of the forest and retreated into the mountains. Though the hill has been deserted ever since Sauron was vanquished, the evil and darkness he has spread into the forest never fully healed. And so, the Men and some of the Elves called it Mirkwood."

Raising his hand along the map up to the river and the small mountain chain separating a portion of the forest from the rest, he once more encircled a certain spot.

"This is where King Thranduil and his Elves live; a kingdom hidden beneath the earth, in large caverns."

"Have you ever been there?"

"Yes, once... the King's son is a good friend of mine."

"Can I meet him?"

"Perhaps, one day, your paths will cross." the Ranger chuckled.

Smiling to him, Leeya once again turned her gaze over the map trying to decide which place to ask about first; her attention was soon drawn to the northwestern part of the land and she pointed to that.

"What place is that?"

"The Shire? That is a most beautiful land... and the people who live there are just as beautiful and generous as their country."

"Are they Elves as well?"

"No... you could easily pass for one of them, for you share their height."

When she turned her awed gaze to him, Aragorn once more chuckled.

"They are called Halflings, or Hobbits; and they are one of Middle Earth's most peaceful races."

"And what is that to the North?"

Following her finger with his gaze, the Ranger's smile somewhat faded as he glanced upon that stretch of land.

"That was once the kingdom of Arnor... it was part of the lands which belonged to Gondor, but it was lost in the battles with Sauron, many centuries ago. The Witch King of Angmar was one of the nine who fell to Sauron's power; through him Sauron gained dominion over Arnor and even after he was vanquished, those lands never returned under Gondor's rule."

"Why not? If Sauron is gone, why did the King of Gondor not take back his lands?"

"Because Gondor had no more Kings... and the House of Stewards, who rule in the King's stead, have never managed to amass an army strong enough or brave enough to defeat the evil that still lies there and reclaim their lands."

With his gaze fixed upon those lands which had once belonged to his people, he did not even realize he was drifting into his thoughts, until the touch of Leeya's small hand on his cheek startled him.

"Do not look so sad... I do not like it when you are sad." she pleaded.

Smiling fondly, the young Ranger wrapped her in his arms and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Forgive me, my Lady..." he requested in good humor. "I did not mean to worry you."

When she giggled despite the reddening of her cheeks, he again averted his eyes to the map.

"Now... where would you like us to travel next?"

 **= oOoOo =**

While Aragorn was thusly busy explaining the map to her, Elrond was watching them from one of the windows in his study, along with Gilraen.

"So she is a descendant of Númenor..." he stated contemplatively. "I did not believe I would live to the day when another Dúnadan woman would be seen in Middle Earth."

"We may yet live to see more..."

Blinking at the woman's words, Elrond turned his questioning gaze to her while she continued speaking her thoughts.

"I have no doubt that Aragorn would marry Leeya when she is old enough. My only hope is that if he does offer his love to her... that she will offer hers in return."

Looking to the Ranger again, the Noble Elf exhaled a soft sigh.

"What I have seen of his future is much too uncertain for me to tell if that will come to pass. His exile was of his own choice... as was his decision to turn away from his bloodline. The girl's future is still veiled from my sight. Nothing is certain..."

Smiling lightly, Gilraen fell silent for now... in her heart she somehow knew that Aragorn would surely fall in love with the girl once she became a woman. While she lacked the gift of foresight which had been given to Elrond, she knew her son much too well to question that.

Some hours afterwards Aragorn was still seated on that terrace, leaning against the stone railing whilst holding Leeya who was curled up on his lap, wrapped in a thick blanket. While watching the surrounding mountains with the young Ranger, she was also listening to him as he sang a part of the _Ballad of Beren and Lúthien_. And though she was curious to hear the entire story, it did not take too long for Aragorn's voice to lull her to sleep, filling her mind with peaceful, beautiful dreams of Elves and Men.

After taking her to bed, the Ranger finally decided to retire for the night as well. Rivendell always had a soothing effect on him... it was the one place where he knew he could truly rest. Near dawn, however, he was startled from his sleep by what seemed to be the girl's scream. Leaping out of bed, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his bare torso before rushing along the hallway to the room where he had left the child. Upon entering the moonlit chamber his eyes instantly fell onto the girl who was curled up against the bed's headboard, her arms wrapped around her knees and her head lowered. The trembling in her shoulders was enough to let the Ranger know that she was crying, even when no sound came from her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached for Leeya, bringing her against his chest, and when she wrapped her arms around his waist, he took to stroking her hair.

"Hush... I am here." he said softly.

Moments later Gilraen and Elrond entered as well, their faces lit dimly by the lanterns they were carrying.

"What happened?" the woman asked, sitting near them with a worried gaze.

"I saw _him_..." Leeya muttered, startling the three watching her.

Frowning in thought, Aragorn glanced to Elrond who seemed just as taken aback. It was uncommon for the Dúnedain to have visions – as very few of them were blessed with the gift of foresight – and even then it was unheard of, for a child so young to have them at all.

"What did you see?" the Ranger now asked, placing the child onto his lap.

Wiping away her tears, Leeya pressed against his torso while grasping the man's shirt.

"It was a barren wasteland as far as the eye could see..." she replied almost in a whisper, as though her voice was echoing some distant memory. "It was littered with dead Men and Orcs and other creatures I do not know what to call. I stood alone... my hands were stained in blood... a broken blade was at my feet. And before me was a wheel of fire... and I knew it was _him_... it was Sauron. He closed in on me, while behind me you were calling my name. I wanted to run to you... but I could not turn. I could only stand there... waiting..."

When her shaky voice broke down, the Ranger placed a kiss onto her hair.

"It was a bad dream, Leeya... nothing more." he whispered.

Yet for all his soothing words, Elrond's gaze told the Ranger what he had already thought of as well... most likely it had been more than just a nightmare. They knew that the One Ring had not been destroyed; and Elrond himself had returned from Dol Guldur two years past, speaking of a terrible encounter with the Dark Lord himself – albeit that he was weakened. Was it possible that somehow Sauron would return in the future? Was it possible that the Ring would be found and returned to its master? It was a terrible thought, but one that had to be taken into account nonetheless. Finally setting a hand onto the child's head, Aragorn then glanced to his mother.

"I will stay with her... go rest." he said with a light nod.

Reaching out and briefly setting a hand onto his cheek, the woman smiled and leaned over to kiss his forehead then Leeya's, before moving to her feet and leaving the room along with Elrond. Once the door had been closed, the Ranger now settled the girl onto the bedding before lying at her side and pulling the covers over her while she curled against his chest.

"Get some sleep, Leeya..." he said on a low tone.

Shaking her head, the child turned her frightened gaze to him.

"I do not want to... what if he comes for me again?"

Kissing her forehead, Aragorn then offered her a reassuring smile.

"If he does, I will save you this time... I promise."

He had the gift of reaching out to others while they were asleep or burning with fever, like all Dúnedain could, in order to heal or return people from the brink of death. If she showed any signs of having another nightmare, he knew he had the power to be there and protect her. Finally nodding lightly, Leeya now cuddled close to him and closed her eyes. Fortunately, the rest of her sleep was untroubled and it was no more than a few hours before the bright rays of the sun awoke her again. When she jolted in his arms, Aragorn perked up and turned his gaze downward.

"I am here..." he said gently.

Allowing her to hide her face in his shirt, he took to stroking her hair while he once more set his gaze upon the patch of nature he could see from her room's window. The only thing to tear him from his contemplation was the sound of the door opening; his expression, however, settled into a wide smile at the sight of one of his two good friends, Elladan. Approaching the bed, the dark haired Elf now offered a smile of his own in return.

"Father sent me to call you for breakfast."

His melodious voice now drew the girl's attention, and he found himself marveling at the unusual color of her eyes.

"So it is true... you did find a Dúnadan child."

Sitting up along with the young Ranger, Leeya offered him a shy smile which earned her a gentle glance from the Elf who now reached out and gingerly grasped her chin.

"And with eyes like the stormy sea..." he stated whilst contemplatively watching her.

"I must leave tomorrow, Elladan; I know Lord Elrond is much too busy... can I leave her in your care?"

Arching a brow, the Elf now straightened his posture and averted his gaze to his friend.

"I need someone to teach her the sword." the Ranger explained himself.

With a light chuckle, Elladan now reached out and grasped Aragorn's shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"I believed only my father had the gift of foresight." he replied in jest. "It seems I was wrong. Very well, I will teach her all she needs to know in order to survive."

 **"Hannon le..."** Aragorn smiled as well, returning his friend's gesture.

 **= oOoOo =**

Throughout the rest of the day, the Ranger had spent his time teaching Leeya the basics of riding a horse; Roheryn would have happily helped him in that task, but Aragorn had considered it was best to give her a different horse. He could tell Roheryn already liked the girl, which meant the horse was likely to heed her commands simply because of that... and Aragorn did not want her to get the wrong impression that it was an easy thing to make such an animal obey you. At Elladan's suggestion, he had chosen a pitch black stallion from the stables, which his friend had said was gentle enough to not endanger the girl.

By that evening, Leeya was pretty sure she never wanted to see a horse again for the rest of her life. It certainly was no easy task to control a stallion and she had nearly fallen out of the saddle many times despite the fact that Aragorn himself was keeping some control over the animal to prevent it from breaking into a gallop. At dinner, however, the Ranger had told her that he had a surprise for her; following him after the meal, she was surprised to see he was taking her to the stables where Elladan was already waiting. Glancing around as the two males led her toward a pen set in the far back, she found herself giggling when Roheryn lowered his head as she passed by, snorting in her hair.

"I believe that is all the proof needed to know she is a Dúnadan..." Elladan smiled. "Dúnedain horses never take so quickly to other races of Men."

"Yet I did not have the wits to see it, until she told me of her bloodline." Aragorn nodded.

"You already have much on your mind, Aragorn; no one can be expected to notice everything."

Offering a resigned smile, the Ranger awaited until Leeya finally left Roheryn. Upon stopping before the last pen which held a beautiful white mare, the Elf opened the door and Aragorn felt her hand jolting in his – most likely in surprise – when a small, ebony colored foal leapt out with a high pitched whinny, in his eager desire to play. Crouching next to her so as to not frighten the young animal, Aragorn now smiled.

"He was born this morning... the one you had so much trouble riding today, is his father."

Watching as the girl reached out hesitantly, he chuckled when the foal sniffed her hand in curiosity, before nipping at her fingers with his teeth, making her giggle again.

"He is a Dúnadan horse, like my Roheryn. Raise him well... he will be a good friend and a loyal companion. He will keep you safe, if you share a tight bond with him."

Still silent, Leeya now took to stroking the foal's short mane whilst he buried his muzzle in her arms, clearly enjoying the affection received.

"Must you leave tomorrow?"

Briefly looking to Elladan whose humorous expression had been replaced by a certain shade of sadness, Aragorn then took a deep breath; he had somewhat dreaded the moment, but it was not as if he could just leave at dawn without even telling her.

"Yes... my friends need my aid in Rohan."

"You ride to battle..."

Surprised that she would say that to him on so sure a tone, the Ranger now locked gazes with her.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, sincerely curious as to how she had arrived at that conclusion.

"Because I can see it in your eyes. For as long as I can remember, Corsairs tried to raid our island... my father had the same gaze in his eyes when he was strapping his sword to his waist... and his bow and arrows to his back... and went out to fight them off, with the other men. And for as long as I can remember, I never knew if he would return."

Utterly humbled by her words, the Ranger now gingerly pushed the foal away so he could pull the girl toward him; he was almost startled when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace as tight as her little arms allowed. Setting a hand at the back of her head to stroke her hair, he set loose a heavy sigh.

"I _will_ return..."

Never before had he made such a promise, not even to his mother, for he knew that he could not guarantee his ability to keep it. But, as much as it surprised even him, those had been the only words he was able to muster at that moment. When she leaned back with a slight furrow to her brow and eagerly searched his eyes for some form of reassurance that he was not lying, Aragorn smiled and wrapped his other arm around her knees setting her onto his lap, before he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I will return... I give you my word." he said again, holding her dearly while she burrowed her face in his shirt, locking her arms around his torso.

"Then I will wait..." she finally replied. "And I will pray to the Valar, to keep you safe."

Smiling when the foal tried to push his muzzle in between them with a short whinny, seeking attention, Aragorn now placed a hand onto the young horse's head while Leeya finally averted her gaze to the animal again.

"You should give him a name soon, so he may grow accustomed to it." Elladan suggested, in an attempt to lighten the child's mood.

With the foal again burying his muzzle in her arms, Leeya trailed a hand over the white, star-shaped spot on his forehead. Searching her memory for the various words she had learned of the Elves which had visited her home island, she then gently grasped the horse's muzzle to look into his eyes.

"Huitaar..." she said softly.

While the foal snorted against her clothes, she pressed her forehead to his and wrapped her arms around his muzzle.

"An unexpected choice..." Elladan stated with some surprise, but nonetheless impressed.

"Aragorn is descendant from a line of Kings, is he not? And this was his gift to me... a kingly gift." Leeya replied, stroking the foal's neck.

Humbly smiling, the Ranger leaned to kiss the side of her head whilst the Elf watched him with a rather bemused expression.

"Come..." he finally said. "He is still young; he needs his sleep... just like you."

 **= oOoOo =**

The following morning Leeya was standing next to Roheryn, feeding him an apple, when Aragorn and Elrond finally stepped into the small stone yard.

"I am sure he will miss you as well..." the Ranger smiled, patting his stallion's flank.

Briefly looking up at him, Leeya then wrapped her arms around the steed's neck.

"Keep him safe..." she whispered.

Perking his ears, Roheryn now snorted before lowering his head and pressing his muzzle against her back. When she finally stepped away, Aragorn settled onto one knee to offer her an embrace of his own.

"I will send word as often as I can..." he promised.

Silently reaching around her neck, the girl retrieved the thin silver chain which held an intricate piece of jewelry; a silver wave pattern, rimmed with diamonds to resemble the color of her eyes.

"Father said that one of the Wizards was visiting our island when I was born... he offered me this on that night and told my parents that it would always protect me."

Approaching them, Elrond cast his eyes to the pendant.

"There is indeed a powerful protective spell upon this jewel. It is perhaps the reason you survived that storm, when everyone else died."

Watching the sparkling locket for a moment, Leeya then held out her hand to Aragorn.

"You cannot give me this..." he muttered, utterly taken aback.

"But it is mine to give to whom I will..." she smiled, in an attempt to hold back her tears.

Refusing to wait for his reply, she wrapped her arms around him, setting the jewel around his neck.

"It will keep you safe..." she whispered, kissing his cheek.

Embracing her tightly, the Ranger now pressed his lips to the side of her head.

"I will return..." he said reassuringly.

Finally standing, he mounted and offered one last glance to the girl – now standing next to Gilraen who was warmly smiling at him – before urging Roheryn into a gallop through the open gates, his thoughts still on Leeya as he pressed the jewel against his chest with one hand.

 _'I will return...'_

* * *

Glossary:

 _Hannon le = Thank you_

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1\. **raeshell** \- Aww I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying it so far, darling. I was a bit anxious about starting the story and I'm mostly anxious about the pairing, because by now it's all been done before and it may seem like a recycled idea. But I'm really happy that people can still find enjoyment from it, against all odds.

Now the next chapter and the very large time gap between this one and the next one might disrupt that feeling of a slow build that you mentioned, but as I said in the beginning of this chapter, I have a good explanation for that. And that will also be the only large time gap in the story most likely, because once the canon story line starts I will follow that very closely so there shouldn't be any more fast forwards.

Just wanted to get that out there, so you won't feel too jarred by the time difference; also that does not mean the pairing will be evolving fast by any means, I plan to make this as slow of a burn as I can, because I too enjoy slow builds, they just seem more natural and plausible.

But I won't rant on any more, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and that what I have planned for future ones will be just as entertaining :D

2\. **Japkot** \- Aaahhh you're tempting me into spoiling the plot. Well, I won't so all I can say is that she _will_ come into contact with the Ring at some point as that would be inevitable considering she lives in Rivendell. As for the Fellowship... well you'll have to wait and see, darling ;)

But thank you so much for the heartwarming compliment and I really hope this story will keep you entertained until the very end :D

3\. **angel897** \- Oh I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed that one as well, darling. I will try my best to keep updating the story at a good pace, because at least for now it doesn't seem to be interfering with my inspiration outpour for the sequel to _Timeless_. So for now I will keep writing for this story too and hopefully I won't have to put it on hold because of _Selfless_.

So I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well, and that you'll have fun with this journey until the end :D

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


	5. The Elf Lord

Soooo it's been a really long time, I know and I am so profoundly sorry to have kept you waiting so long lovelies. As some of you may know (if you follow _Selfless_ ), my dad's been really sick and spent about three weeks in the hospital this fall, so writing just hasn't been my priority for a while.

And then starting this January I got a new job so now I'm a bit (more) pressed for time than I was. Which is pretty much why this chapter took so damn long to come out. I've had it finished since Christmas, but I just didn't have the time to review and edit it. So I sat down this weekend and re-read it and I had to edit quite a chunk of it which is why I'm putting it out only now.

So I won't rant too much, darlings. Just know that now that I have a job writing will be sparse not because I lack ideas, but because I lack the time to do it. Basically I'm down to writing like a paragraph (if I'm lucky) per day, or once every 2-3 days because I am just THAT busy right now. As soon as I settle in well enough at my job I should be able to manage my time better, but for now I'm just a bit overwhelmed.

Oh, before I forget, **go visit my Photobucket library** (link on my profile). In the FanFiction folder you'll find a LotR sub-folder where I have uploaded pictures of the two jewels that have appeared so far in my story. I'm fairly sure you'll easily recognize the wave pattern jewel which Leeya has given to Aragorn upon his departure. The other one is mentioned in the very chapter you're about to read. You'll see how and why ;)

So hopefully y'all don't hate me by now and I'm hoping not all of you have abandoned this story yet. But that's enough outta me, I'll let you get to reading. Don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think :D

Enjoy, lovelies~

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **4\. The Elf Lord**

 _'I will return...'_

 **= oOo =**

 _ **~ 58 years later (T.A. 3018) ~**_

 _"Leeya..."_

At first she believed it had been nothing more than a faraway echo carried by the soft breeze caressing her cheeks. Sometimes she did believe that she could hear Aragorn calling to her over the wind, and imagined that was perhaps him thinking of her... at the very least she _wanted_ to believe that.

As it often happened of late, that thought in turn led her to a familiar path of memories. Sometimes she still couldn't believe it had been more than half a century since she had first arrived in Rivendell. Elrond had explained to her that Dúnedain often lived to see at least one and a half centuries of life, if not more, and that – while their hair might turn white with age – they could retain their youthful appearance until their passing from the world. But to her it still was hard to believe that she had turned sixty-five that year, yet looked no older than twenty. She often wondered if Aragorn still looked like a young man, if he still looked as he had on the day they had met; knowing the difference in age between them, she estimated he would be about eighty-seven by then...

"Leeya..."

The new proximity finally caused her to realize it was not just her imagination this time; and when she turned along the grass she had been sitting upon, her heart skipped a beat at the sight which her eyes were now indulging in. There – a few steps away – stood Glorfindel, the moon lending its milky light to his fair complexion, his hair shining like liquid silver; but more than that, it was now that she could see a shadow of the light shining from within him... the light that he always restrained and concealed. And though it was no longer a new sight to her, having grown up among Elves, it was the first time she had ever seen him in the moonlight like that.

"M-My Lord..." she mumbled, scrambling to her feet in the most un-Lady-like manner.

Seemingly not bothered by the fact that she was now glancing away shyly, whilst trying to pat away the faint wrinkles in her dress, the Elf stepped forth and reached for her hands, which froze upon the crimson silk when he took them in his grasp. They had rarely spoken to one another, as Leeya was mostly always to be found in the company of Elrond, his sons or Gilraen; and while Glorfindel had never before contemplated the meaning of such a bond with a woman – much less a mortal one – in recent months he had found his heart tugging him more and more toward the Dúnadan girl.

"All these years... and you are still as shy around me, as on the day we first met." he stated, utterly amused by her reactions.

As it always had, his soothing voice held some magic that allowed her to relax, and she even managed a shy smile at him before lowering her gaze again.

"How could I _not_ be? You are so very much like Lord Elrond..."

His gentle laugh seemed to mix with the breeze and warm her to her very core, and she could not hold back from smiling at him; but her smile died a quick death, replaced by the growing blush in her cheeks, when he did something he had never before done... releasing one of her hands, he raised the other to his lips and placed the softest of kisses upon the back of her slender fingers, his sapphire eyes piercing through hers into the very depths of her heart. She knew it was silly for her to still be this nervous around him, after so many years spent in that vale, but some unseen hint of nobility and power in his aura had always prevented her from entirely relaxing in his presence.

"I am humbled by your kind words; but you need not be nervous in front of me, Leeya..."

His voice – adding to the intensity of his gaze – now seemed to lull her into a sweet trance from which she was not sure she wanted to ever wake up... if only it had not been for that faint tug within her chest; that small, weak pull which appeared to be struggling against the Elf Lord's magic, trying to remind her of where her heart truly lied.

 _'I will return, Leeya...'_

The memory of Aragorn's voice and determined gaze – assuring her that he would never conceive to break his word – brought a bittersweet shade of smile to her lips. But the touch of Glorfindel's hand upon her cheek snapped her back to reality, and her eyes widened when she again became aware of his expression; something in his smile had changed, and though it was not anything evil it made her heart cringe. While she had never experienced what it felt like to _be_ what a man desired, her intuition warned her that what he would say next would change everything between them in ways she could not yet comprehend.

"I have something for you."

She was about to contemplate that her initial assumption had been wrong, when he reached into his pocket; upon withdrawing his gift, Leeya could not stop a soft gasp from escaping her at the sight of the necklace he was holding. She had seen many jewels made by the Elven smiths of Elrond's home, but the silver chain now glistening joyfully against his milky skin far surpassed anything she had known before. So delicate and masterfully woven it was, that she feared even touching it so as to not bring any harm upon the fragile string; and the dewdrop-shaped sapphire hanging from it was so skillfully encased in the same shade of almost white silver, shining whenever it caught the moon which seemed to enjoy reflecting herself in such beauty.

"Your neck has been lonely since Aragorn departed. After all these years, perhaps it is time to adorn it once more; though no jewel, no matter how well crafted, could ever match your beauty."

His words caught her just as her fingertips were about to touch the superb jewel, and her hand twitched whilst she raised a confused expression toward him. Never before had he given her gifts, and to now give her something this valuable... and to say such words to her... had her intuition been right, after all? Her answer arrived much faster than she believed when Glorfindel leaned toward her, and her very mind froze in shock as the realization of what his lips would not say suddenly crashed upon her.

 _'No...'_ some voice in her mind whispered unexpectedly. _'Not like this... not with him...'_

Ever since she had grown to the age where Gilraen could teach her about feelings and why men and women had forever been destined to desire one another, she had sworn to herself – as well as to her adoptive mother – that she would have no other but Aragorn.

 _'No... no... no... NO!'_

Unlike the voice now screaming in her head, her expression showed nothing of her inner turmoil even as she tilted her head as if to bow to him, so as to avoid his kiss.

"Forgive me, my Lord..." she whispered, her voice quivering as though she was on the verge of crying. "I cannot..."

Always she had believed that she would be proud and happy to learn that she was the object of desire for a man... never had she imagined that it would be a man she had known and seen around for decades, and that having to refuse him would make her feel like such a horrible monster.

When he grasped her hands again, trapping the necklace in between her palms, she gathered the courage to look up at him once more only to feel her heart sink into the very pits of her stomach; to the untrained eye, his smile had not changed at all in its warmth and kindness. But to her, who had become well versed in reading beyond an Elf's expression, his eyes revealed more than she had wanted to know. It was not sorrow or anger which plagued him, but he certainly wasn't happy that she did not return his feelings; it was something that struck a chord so deeply within her, that her gaze grew hazy with tears even as he leaned to place a soft kiss upon her forehead.

"Keep this... for me." he said softly, once more kissing her hands which now clasped his gift.

 **= oOoOo =**

"What are these tears upon your face?"

The familiar stern but loving tone of her adoptive father startled the young woman out of her thoughts. The salty trails were still glistening upon her cheeks when she turned her pained expression toward him, causing the Sindar Elf to approach and kneel upon the grass at her side.

 **"Ada..."** she whispered, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"What happened?"

His voice was now as warm and soothing as the summer breeze, his touch as gentle and soft as silk when he went to wipe away her tears. Unflinching when Leeya fell upon his chest, he wrapped her in his arms and stroked her hair, wordless whilst she cried. It was upon settling down that she revealed the silvery necklace and told Elrond of her encounter with Glorfindel earlier that night.

"She always spoke so passionately of men..." the young woman said, recalling the tales Gilraen had told her. "I always believed it would bring me great joy to learn that one of them desired me. Never have I been so wrong before..."

"Because you never gave any thought to what would happen if another man desired you... and not the one _you_ want."

Raising her head, she set a confused gaze upon the Sindar Elf causing him to heave a sigh.

"I know who it is your heart desires... but it is only a shadow that you love in him. He no longer is the young man you once knew; he has seen too much sorrow and death."

"Have you looked into my future?"

His frown deepening, the Elf Lord once again sighed; he did not wish to lie to her, but she had grown to be as dear to him as his own children. And he could not bear to know that she would remain in Middle Earth to age and die.

"There is nothing for you at his side..." he finally said, the very words a bitter falsehood on his tongue. "You and he have no future together."

His heart flinched when her beautiful face contorted painfully at the news, and upon her trembling breath fresh tears streamed down her fair cheeks. He hated that he had to break her heart, but he would not leave her behind to die.

"Glorfindel is a good choice." he went on, gingerly grasping her shaking hand.

The look she gave him struck him deeply, as if he had sentenced her to death.

"He is strong and wise; I did not believe I would see the day when he would desire a woman as his own, but he could not have made a wiser choice than you."

As though she had resigned herself to her fate, Leeya lowered her head once more and nodded lightly. She knew not if she would be able to turn her heart away from Aragorn, but if Elrond so encouraged her to try, she would heed his wish.

 **= oOoOo =**

"Leeya..."

Opening her eyes from where she was laying in the grass, leaning against Huitaar's belly, the female Ranger looked up to see Elladan approaching her with a slight smile.

"I have word from Aragorn." he continued, holding up a scroll.

Chuckling softly when she jumped to her feet and eagerly accepted the letter, the Elf then briefly eyed the stallion which had by now stood as well, shaking off a few blades of grass which had clung to his shiny dark coat, before approaching his mistress.

"He is still not coming back..."

It was the utter disappointment in the girl's voice that earned her the attention of the Noble Elf again. Smiling warmly, he reached out to reassuringly grasp her shoulder.

"He is alive and well enough to send word... that alone is an immense relief."

Nodding, knowing that he was right, the girl made her best attempt at a smile of her own; she had not seen Aragorn in over fifty years. He had only visited the vale three times, as otherwise the many grievances of the world had kept him away... yet as fate would have it she and Elladan had been out in the mountains each time.

And then, eleven years before this day, Elrond had received word from Aragorn himself that his mother – who had lived out her last days in Eriador – had passed from the world of the living, to join her husband in the Halls of Mandos. And though Elrond sent a party to Eriador to bring back Gilraen's body and bury her in the vale which had been her home for many decades, Leeya had been heartbroken upon returning from her visit to Lothlórien and learning the news from him; but he had again urged her to not leave Imladris, as much as she desired to be at Aragorn's side and comfort him through those grievous moments.

But she was tired of waiting... Elladan had trained her well, and by now the Elf admitted that she could easily match any other Ranger in skill and wits. And she was tired of staying in Rivendell without making use of those skills she had gained over the decades. She had often told Gilraen of her desire to see Middle Earth and help Aragorn keep the peace. But while the woman understood her eagerness, with that warm smile which always disarmed the young girl, she too had always advised against it; even Leeya, despite not being an Elf, could indeed feel the darkness growing over the world. Yet rather than scaring her, it only made her even more willing to leave the safety of Rivendell and aid Aragorn.

On this particular day, however, something within her changed; some strength hidden in the deepest recesses of her soul now surfaced, settling her indecisive heart and steeling her will beyond anything she had known until then. She knew why Elrond strived so hard to keep her safe, but she would no longer be denied her wish.

"I am going to speak to Lord Elrond." she finally said, tightening her grasp on the letter in her hands.

Ignoring Elladan's questioning gaze, she rushed past him and toward the house. Upon finding Elrond standing at one of the library windows and gazing over the mountains, she lightly gulped to settle her heart and approached him.

"I know he sent word to you..." the Elf stated, startling her. "And I know what it is you want to ask of me."

Only then did he avert his grey eyes to her and released a heavy sigh. It seemed his words had not been enough to dissuade her from wanting to follow Aragorn.

"Understand, Leeya... you may well be riding to your death."

"I know... but I can no longer endure to stay here safe, while he is out there risking his life. I need to go..."

When the Elf approached and embraced her, as if in a silent plea for her to reconsider, Leeya found that she had to bite into her tongue to hold back her tears.

"You have been like a father to me all these long years, my Lord..." she said softly, mustering the courage to look up into his eyes. "So I ask you as I would ask my father... please, let me go to him."

Wordless for a moment longer, he again sighed recalling the words of Galadriel when she had first seen the girl. From what he too had seen of her future, Leeya's fate was undeniably entwined with Aragorn's... to what end, not even the Lady of Light could tell.

"Very well..." he finally said. "I cannot keep you here against your will anymore; you are no longer a child. Aragorn and the other Rangers are near the borders of the Shire, to the west, as Mithrandir requested of them, to keep the Halflings safe. Have Elladan help you prepare... it will not be an easy journey; Orcs are increasing rapidly in numbers and they kill anyone crossing their path."

"Then I must leave as soon as possible..."

"Not before dawn... you need to be well prepared; if you die, you will be of no help to him."

* * *

Glossary:

 _Ada_ = _Daddy_ (generally it means "father" but the same form is also used for the term "daddy")

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1\. **Moriah418** \- I'm so happy to hear you enjoy this story as much as the others, darling; it's a real treat seeing you here :D

Thank you so very much for the kind words, I'm really humbled as always. And I'm so sorry I took this long to update, but I won't repeat myself I already explained why at the beginning. Hopefully you haven't lost all your patience yet and you'll still enjoy this chapter :D

2\. **angel897** \- Aww thank you so very much, darling, and I'm so very sorry for the long wait. Hope you haven't given up on the story yet and that you'll enjoy this chapter just as much :D

3\. **Lyanna Arwen Narsilia** \- Yes, actually in my imagination it is more or less an equivalent of the jewel that Arwen gave to him in the original story. But, since Leeya isn't an Elf and was born on an island which is a long lost remnant of the old Numenor, I figured a wave pattern would be much more appropriate. I also find it very interesting how Numenor had this obvious fascination for the sea - which might just be very logical, considering they were an island kingdom, if I recall right - and since I want to try and distance Leeya quite a way from Arwen (so they don't just end up being essentially the same character) I thought it might be better if the memento she gifted him would remind him not just of her, but also of his (and her) Numenorean blood.

So hop over to my Photobucket account to see it. If it doesn't work let me know and I'll maybe tweet the direct links to the pictures so everyone can see them. I was actually quite surprised that I managed to find a necklace which is almost 100% the way I imagined her jewel would look like. Same goes for the sapphire jewel; it just goes to show that Google is sometimes good for things ;)

4\. **Guest** \- Alright, since I have no way of guessing if all my Guest reviews are from the same person or not - and since most of them are very similar - I'll save time and space and just reply to all of them at once. So, first of all I'm very happy to see that you're enjoying this story, darling(s). And I'm so, so sorry that I took this long to update; I hope you don't hate my guts by now and that this chapter will make it up to you at least a bit :D

5\. **Usedmemories** \- Haha well my intention is to stray as much as possible from the canon story while keeping to the canon story. Not sure if that makes any sense right now, but it probably will as the story goes on (if I pull out well enough, that is) :P

So I'm hoping you haven't given up on the story considering how long it took me to update, and that you'll love this chapter just as much - and that it'll keep you ensnared for the next one ;)

6\. **jada951** \- Alright, just to save time I'll reply to all your reviews in one go, darling. So, first things first; yes, his mother is still around because according to Annex B of the book, she died in the year 3007 of the Third Age, so when Aragorn was 76 years old. He only lost his father as a child, because Arathorn was killed in 2932 of the Third Age, just one year after Aragorn was born - so he never even got to meet his father; the only father figure he ever knew was Elrond.

Which just proves that the (very many) people I've seen arguing on the Internet about how they got Aragorn's age wrong in the movies, should just go back to reading the book. Any way you do the math, Aragorn was actually 87 years old by the time the War of the Ring happened in T.A. 3018. But enough of my personal rant, let's move on with your reviews xD

As for being fostered in Imladris, yeah it sounds really cool though considering the way Aragorn ended up being adopted by Elrond, I think he would have rather had his real father with him. It was one of the things that made me relate incredibly well to his character, because I lost my mom when I was little so I can empathize with him maybe in a different way than a lot of other fans. Which is why I chose him for my story's pairing rather than Legolas (as most other writers here seem to do); I love Legolas, but Aragorn is just more relatable, to put it concisely.

And well, I think you'll be happy to hear that I kept Glorfindel for the part he should have had in the movie, though I understand why they didn't keep him and chose Arwen. Still would have been cool to actually see him on screen; because from what I remember of his scenes in the book, unlike Arwen, he was actually powerful enough that even the Ring Wraiths feared him... like literally FEARED him because he was one of the most powerful Elf Lords.

So it would have been fantastic to get to see him in the movies, but yeah they had good reasons not to include him. There were some other characters I would have loved seeing - Elrond's twin sons for one, and Halbarad and even Imrahil. They all played such important parts in the books that it was kind of hard to imagine the movies without them. But that's what we got and there's no doubt that the movies are really well made. I don't remember any other book adaptation that did not disappoint me thoroughly.

And yes, I maybe could have just inserted some phrase in that chapter to describe the length of their journey but hey playing around with time a bit isn't a crime I feel... I'll just call it artistic license and hide behind that excuse :P

As for the Dunedain horses, yeah that's precisely why I too liked that idea of them having the same lifespan as their masters. Because while in the movie they didn't delve into that except in some glimpses, horses in Middle Earth were pretty much the equivalent of dogs... you know, "man's best friend". A rider's bond with his steed was often much more complex than it initially let on. And I believe that was especially true for certain races like the Dunedain or the Elves. I like to believe Elven horses - like Glorfindel's steed - had a very long lifespan, even if maybe they weren't immortal like their masters.

As for his promise, that was a complex thought process in my head. Clearly there was no romantic involvement on either part in that scene, because of her age. As I had Gandalf suggest earlier, Aragorn's feelings toward her were paternal at best. And she had just lost both parents at sea, had just been thrown into a world she'd never set foot in before, and had sort of imprinted on the first person she came into contact with - pretty much like any newborn does. So in that aspect, he naturally wouldn't want to emotionally scar her any further by going "Ey, I have no idea if I'll be returning in five years or in five pieces."

She wasn't a stupid kid by far, and she made it clear to him that she knew the risk of him dying out there and that she was familiar with death since her island was regularly raided by Corsairs, but from Aragorn's point of view I believe that would have been the most logical reaction, to promise her that he will return that he won't just leave and die... and maybe he just wanted her to not live in uncertainty at least for a short while. Because if you recall, she told him about how her father always joined the other men on the island to fight off the pirates and how she never knew if he would return at the end of the day. And from my personal experience, there is NO worse feeling than uncertainty just eating away at you. Sooo that's kinda my explanation for him just making such a promise to her.

As for her giving him the jewel, she clearly either knew for certain or suspected that it had been in some way blessed by the Istar who had offered it to her at birth. So naturally she would want him to have it so that it might keep him safe. As I said, there's no romantic feelings involved on either part, because that would just be weird and illogical considering her tender age.

But wow, this reply went on much longer than I expected, so sorry for the long rant. I hope I managed to touch on all that you mentioned. If I failed to reply to anything just let me know and I'll gladly write another interminable rant for you, darling ;)

7\. **mlm0330** \- Aww thank you so much for the kind words, love. Well, I guess that just comes natural when you like something. Whenever I find something that I really enjoy I want to find out as much as possible about it. And I'm not sure how original my ideas are, but thank you so very much for the compliment. I haven't browsed the entire LotR section here, because there are - as usual - way too many yaoi stories even there, and I'm really not into that so it kind of discouraged me. But that means I don't really know all the Aragorn stories out there, for all I know someone else might have had a very similar idea to mine xD

But I'm really happy you're enjoying the story so far, darling, and I hope this chapter was just as entertaining and that you'll forgive me for taking so long to update.

8\. **Theresa5155** \- Wow, apparently he's a rather underused character in fanfiction (though most of what I got to browse through was yaoi stuff which I don't like). What I can say for sure is that there never seem to be enough OC pairings out there. I understand creating your own character isn't easy, but I'm certain people have more imagination than just using someone else's characters without adding one of their own. But that's my own rant about fanfiction writing xD

I really hope you didn't give up on this story yet, even though it took me like half a year to update. And I'm hoping to hear from you again soon, to know if you enjoyed this chapter or not :D

9\. **phoenixJ** \- Well ask and thou shalt receive ;P Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the previous ones, darling, and that you're still on board for the ride :D

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


	6. Bane of the Dunedain

Okay so I had more time this weekend to get out some of the **LOAD** of ideas floating in my head. Aaaand this came out... so I won't rant on forever, I'll just let you get to reading after I mention a couple little things. Since we're starting to delve a bit deeper into the LotR world, there will be some terms I'll be using regarding the various races of Arda. And some of them may seem like errors, though they are not, so I'll just list them here for everyone to know for future chapters.

 **Vala (sg.) / Valar (pl.)** = to put it in a short and simple way, they are the gods of Tolkien's universe, the divine beings dwelling in Valinor, though they're not all powerful gods by any means as they too have a creator. The "supreme god" as you could call him because he wasn't created by anyone and is a self-sustaining entity, is Eru Ilúvatar, who first created the Valar and then - together - they created Middle Earth and the two main races inhabiting it - Elves and Men.

 **Maia (sg.) / Maiar (pl.)** = these are the "lesser Valar", or basically the angels or saints of Arda. They are spirits who serve the different Valar and quite a few of them have played major roles in the fate of Middle Earth. Of these the best known are the Istari, and Mairon (who would later be known as Sauron).

 **Istar (sg.) / Istari (pl.)** = the Wizards, as they are known in Middle Earth; these are in fact Maiar who have taken it upon themselves to travel to Middle Earth and aid its various peoples. But they were sent there with their powers greatly lessened and were bound by an oath to never seek to rule the peoples of Middle Earth or to influence them through fear. Hence why most of the time they chose to appear as humans of old age - the best known of them are Curumo, Olórin and Aiwendil... but you probably know them better as Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast ;)

 **Adan (sg.) / Edain (pl.)** = the overall race of Men, to which pretty much every human you know from the books/movies belongs.

 **Dúnadan (sg.) / Dúnedain (pl.)** = one of the races of Men, hailing from the ancient kingdom of Númenor, blessed with long life, power and wisdom far beyond their years.

The reason I listed all this is because I don't want anyone to think that when I use the singular form of one of these races, I'm making a mistake... nope, those are the correct versions created by Tolkien to name the various races of his universe. So with that said, I'll let you get to reading; just don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think ;)

Enjoy, lovelies~

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **5\. Bane of the Dúnedain**

 _"[...] if you die, you will be of no help to him."_

 **= oOo =**

 _She knew she was dreaming... at the very least she_ _ **hoped**_ _she was dreaming; but this felt much too real for a mere dream._

 _"What is this place?" she whispered, and her own voice startled her for it was dry and hoarse, as though she had been deprived of water for days._

 _Such a barren and desolate land she had yet to see; the very air around her seemed to be nothing but poisonous smoke, clogging her lungs and throat... the earth beneath her feet was so scorched that it crumbled to dust with each step she took... and yet there was no sun in the sky... only shadow. And though she could not shed tears her heart quivered and wept at the terrible sight around her._

 _"Mordor...?"_

 _What she could recall of Aragorn's words from so long ago certainly led her to believe that. But why...? Why was she there? Why was she dressed for battle and why was the blade in her hand split in half along its length?_

 _Again she glanced around only to be startled when the ground shook beneath her; upon glancing downward she watched in awe as the earth moved beneath her feet like the waters of a river... and when she again raised her eyes she was before the base of an incredibly tall tower built of a black stone she did not know what to call._

 _It was when she succumbed to curiosity and reached out to touch it, that something caused her to move again; and she was this time transported to the top of the odd building... and there she found..._

 _"Sauron..."_

 _Her shaky whisper paled in the sound of burning fire and amidst the whispers of Black Speech which now surrounded her. By all accounts it was just a dark crystal wreathed in flames... and yet the blaze held no warmth and the sharply cut jewel looked too much like an eye staring into her very soul. She could not tell how long she simply stared back, unable to tear her gaze away, the sound of her racing heart and her labored breath drowned in the raging inferno; all sense of time seemed lost to her, until a tall figure clad in dark armor – seemingly emerging from the depths of the eye –_ _startled her when it spoke._

 _"Your cursed race has robbed me of my right to rule..." he said, his voice freezing her to the very core of her soul; such was the weight of hatred and death flowing in his tone._

 _At those words the figure raised his right hand, revealing his missing fingers, and Leeya felt a sudden, different kind of dread creeping along her spine for she knew well what Sauron spoke of._

 _"Isildur's heir will fall..." he again spoke, and though his voice was a mere whisper it filled her heart with despair and sorrow, finally drawing forth the tears she wanted to shed. "And from your blood I will raise the Dúnedain's bane!"_

 _With his other hand he now reached for her and veiled her like black mist, whilst the coldness of his words seeped into her mind and heart, once more numbing her very soul in their icy grasp._

 **=o=o=o=**

The scream which had begun in her dream – painfully tearing itself from her parched throat – accompanied her into the waking world even as she shot up in bed. Amidst her heaving breaths, she realized she was drenched in sweat and that her hands were clenched onto the linen covering her stomach, yet could not bring herself to move as if some force had paralyzed her. It was like that that Elrond found her when he arrived, and one glance was enough to tell him that she had likely had another vision – by her expression, he dreaded to hear what she had seen.

"Leeya..."

His gentle voice startled the woman and she finally stirred from her trance, looking to him with teary eyes and a trembling breath, just as he was seating himself on the bed. She felt sick, as if she was about to throw up, and even though she knew it had been only a dream she could still feel the muscles in her belly clenched with tension.

"What did you see?"

His question was what gained her full attention and caused a renewed shade of terror to come to her gaze. Had it been more than a dream...? Had she seen another vision? By now she was aware that she possessed the gift of foresight – according to Elrond – but... she did not want to believe that... that _monstrosity_ had been more than just a nightmare. When she lowered her gaze and buried her face in her palms, however, the Noble Elf reached out and gently pried one of her hands away to settle it within his grasp, warming her skin which had gone pale and cold as if the shadow of Death was upon her.

"Leeya..." he called again, as gently as before.

He had to somehow calm her down so that she could speak coherently; if she had seen another vision of Sauron, it was immensely important that he knew of it.

 **"Man le trasta, iellen? Mani ume lle elea?"**

Some Elven magic which he had poured into the softly spoken questions finally seemed to soothe her enough that she returned his grasp and spoke to him of the dark terror which had frightened her to her very core. The touch of Elrond's hands upon her tearstained cheeks startled her and rendered her silent, whilst she set her gaze onto his fair expression.

"Not all visions come to pass..." he said, seeking to reassure her. "And the future may yet be changed."

Finally a soft smile blossomed on her lips as his words revived the hope Sauron had slain within her heart, and the Sindar Elf leaned to place a soothing kiss to her forehead.

"I can sleep no more, my Lord..." she said upon looking into his eyes again. "I shall prepare to depart."

A silent nod and the caress of his hands along her cheeks was his only answer, before he stood and departed the room, sending one of the Elves to the stables to ready her horse. With the sun rising in the heavens, Leeya came descending the steps of Elrond's home; at the sight of her garbed in traveling clothes Huitaar snorted a thin wisp of steam in the chilly morning air, and soon the front yard echoed with the sounds of his hoof scratching at the stone flooring in his eagerness to go.

"Easy..." she said softly, stroking along the side of his neck though unable to hold back a smile at the feeling of his body shaking with anticipation.

"Take care on your way... and stay off the Road as much as possible."

The concern in Elrond's voice, as it reached her, compelled the young woman to turn to him with a reassuring smile.

"I will."

Mounting, she had just tugged on the reins to settle Huitaar down, when the yard fell into shadow and the screech of an eagle resounded above, startling the stallion which pranced with a fearful neigh.

"Whoa... easy, Huitaar."

His mistress' voice and her calming strokes eventually settled him down though he still snorted at the sight of the huge bird descending into the yard.

"My Lord Elrond!"

With that cry, a heap of grey cloth fell off the eagle's back onto the ground and remained unmoving, only heaving for breath. Recognizing the Istar, Leeya leapt out of the saddle and rushed over to him along with Elrond.

"Mithrandir!" she called out, grasping his shoulder and turning him over.

"Bring him inside." Elrond demanded, and two Elves standing nearby hurried to pick up the wizard and carry him into the house whilst the eagle took off with another screech echoed by the surrounding mountains.

Though Elladan had rushed to bring him water, Gandalf refused to drink and instead told them a terrible tale of how he had found the One Ring in the possession of Bilbo Baggins – who had just arrived two days before to Rivendell; how he had convinced Bilbo to leave the Ring to his adopted son, Frodo, and how he had set Frodo on the journey to Imladris bearing the accursed thing, hoping that Aragorn would find him on the way and get him safely to Rivendell.

And then he spoke of Saruman's betrayal and how he had been imprisoned in Orthanc, only escaping with the help of Gwaihir who had brought him there... and how he had learned that the Nine were hunting for the Halfling and their master's treasure.

"I must go..." Leeya said urgently. "They need help..."

"No!" Elrond replied sternly. "I will send out riders to look for them and bring them safely here."

"My Lord..." she insisted, appalled that he would deny her leave to aid Aragorn.

"Tend to Gandalf."

With that he hurried out of the room, leaving Leeya to the wizard. Staring in shock for a moment at the door which had closed behind her adoptive father, she then huffed in anger but dared not disobey him; for something in his voice told her that now was not the time to be stubborn. And so she returned to Gandalf's side, taking to cleaning the dried blood from his face after offering him water once more.

"I did not know the Dúnedain were so easily dissuaded."

His words startled her and caused her to turn her gaze from the cloth she was wetting to him, only to find a sincerely curious expression on his face.

"Had you not told him of the Wraiths, he may have yet let me go." she retorted, though her voice held little anger for him due to the great love she bore the old man.

"Ah, so it is my fault?"

The shade of smile playing beneath his grey mustache soon rendered her utterly unable to keep her lips from painting a similar vision upon her features.

"Last I heard from Elladan, you were as ready as you would ever be; able to match the wits of any Ranger out there."

Heaving a soft sigh, she once more sat on the bed to finish cleaning him up, before offering him a knowing smile.

"If he finds out, you will shoulder the blame as well... you know that."

In a moment all humor left the Maia, and his expression took on a grave air.

"He will need all the aid he can get. I trust a Ranger to find him sooner than even the Elves."

"You place too much faith in me... I have not yet been tested in the world beyond the borders of Rivendell."

"We shall see if my faith was wrongly placed or not, when you return."

Sharing a final moment of knowing silence between them, the young woman ultimately nodded and stood, rushing out of the room and to the front yard. In the commotion stirred by the many Elves readying to depart in search of the Halfling, Huitaar stood to the side – forgotten with the harness and saddle still on; and though he was clearly more than eager to leave, he dared not move without his mistress' command.

Taking advantage of the multitude of men and horses gathered there, Leeya weaved her way amidst them until reaching the black stallion which snorted impatiently against her hand as she reached for the reins.

"Hush... come on..."

Her intention of leading him toward the middle of the group where she could more easily hide from Elrond's gaze was thwarted, however, when she walked straight into one of the Elves gathered there, causing him to turn to her.

"You are to join us, I see."

Looking up upon hearing Glorfindel's voice, she remained rooted in place unable to decide what to answer or how to react when the memory of their last encounter returned much too vividly for her liking.

"What are you doing?"

The sharp tone piercing the air caused her heart to leap in fright, and she turned her wide gaze to Elrond standing a few steps away, a deep frown darkening his features. In that instant his eyes told her much more than his words could, and at first she entertained the thought of not disobeying him. But then, as if in some odd game of fate, Aragorn's face came to her mind and fear grasped at her heart; he had promised to return, but now there were such terrible odds against him that she dreaded the worst. He was a strong man, but not even he could stand against the Wraiths alone.

"I have to go..."

Upon that whisper she jumped in the saddle before Elrond could answer and weaken her will, and with a slight tug of the reins Huitaar sprung like an arrow through the open gates.

"I will go with her..." Glorfindel stated, to reassure the Sindar Elf who had been left to stare in shock in her wake. "I will bring her back safely, you have my word."

With that he too mounted his snowy steed and urged him to a gallop, hoping to quickly catch up to the young woman.

* * *

Glossary:

 _Man le trasta, iellen?_ = What troubles you, my daughter?

 _Mani ume lle elea?_ = What did you see?

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1\. **angel897** \- Aww I'm so happy to see some of you darlings are still with me on this journey! I'm hoping this new update came as a nice surprise after the terribly long hiatus I've had. And well, we still have a tiny bit to go before she'll meet Aragorn again. But no worries, I promise their meeting will be like nothing you've seen before ;)

2\. **TheLunaGoddess** \- Oh you have no idea how happy you made me by saying that, darling. If you've just stumbled across this story, then you're really lucky to have caught me just as I'm coming out of a hiatus. So hopefully you'll have plenty of updates to read ;)

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


	7. The Black Riders

Okay so I had this chapter done today and I just couldn't sit still I had to upload it! Now since - as I mentioned - I got a job, it'll probably be the last update until next weekend at least. I'm not sure how much time I'll have during the week to write, but I'll try my best to have the next chapter at least halfway done by the time weekend rolls by.

It's probably why this chapter turned out a bit longer than the others, to tide you darlings over for the whole week :P

But I'll stop ranting now and let you get to reading; just don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think ;)

Enjoy, lovelies~

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **6\. The Black Riders**

 _[...] "I will bring her back safely, you have my word."_

 **= oOo =**

"What's it like? Rivendell..."

Looking up from the small fire he had been tending to, Aragorn found all four Hobbits watching him intently, waiting for a reply to Sam's question.

"It's just... you speak like you've been there before." the plump gardener continued, shifting on his feet beneath the Ranger's gaze.

"I was raised there, Master Gamgee." Aragorn finally smiled. "For a time..."

Though the man's expression said otherwise, Frodo could not dismiss the sad shade in his sapphire eyes which had now been fixed upon the little dancing flames of their campfire.

"Do you have any family waiting for you there?" he heard himself asking, before even realizing he wanted to speak.

"My parents are no longer part of this world; I have only Lord Elrond waiting..."

As his voice trailed off, he once again smiled but this time there was a different kind of warmth in his gaze, and Frodo could not contain his curiosity.

"And who else?"

For a moment Aragorn's eyes darted over to the young Hobbit, as though he was surprised to have been so easily read. Still, he took a deep breath and cast his eyes skyward while emptying his lungs slowly as though he was reliving some distant, but fair and joyful memory.

"In truth, I do not know what to call her. She was but a child when last I saw her... and sometimes I wonder if she is still there clinging to my promise, waiting for me to return."

"Was she dear to you?"

Again Strider glanced to the Halfling, as though taken aback at such a question; and he took only a moment of thought before giving an answer.

"She still is dear to me..." he said with a soft sigh. "But after so many years, I cannot say for sure if I am still dear to her."

Though he had sent word to Rivendell several times over the decades, she had never answered; for all he knew she could have left Elrond's home by now, to seek a life of her own somewhere in the vastness of Middle Earth... or perhaps she had sought to cross the sea back to her home.

"Was that jewel a gift from her? It's very beautiful..."

Upon Pippin's sudden inquiry Aragorn came to realize he had been fiddling with the necklace absentmindedly. Chuckling silently to himself in the face of their unbridled curiosity, he unlatched the delicate string of silver and held out his hand for them to see the white waves now glistening joyfully in the light of the fire, as though he was holding a shard of the moon itself.

"Yes, it was her gift to me... to keep me safe on my journeys." he said while the four Hobbits leaned in closer to inspect the precious jewel.

"Now there's a sight you don't see every day." Sam muttered, awestruck at the mastery of the subtle carvings.

Even Frodo felt a faint trickle of warmth creeping along his injured arm, chasing away some of the cold darkness which had plagued him ever since Weathertop.

"Now get some rest... all of you."

Strider's gentle advice was gladly heeded by the four Halflings, and even Frodo felt like he would sleep well that night, despite their situation.

 **= oOoOo =**

Two days flew by and much of them was but a blur to Leeya; she and Glorfindel had traveled far from Imladris toward the waters of the Mitheithel. They had agreed to take to the Road up to the Last Bridge and from there enter the forests to seek Aragorn and the Halfling. Only a few hours had been spared for rest, and that was only for Leeya's sake as Glorfindel needed no sleep. But even so, she was up and ready to leave before dawn had even crept along the horizon.

"Leeya, you need more rest."

"I will survive a few days without proper sleep. The Wraiths don't take rest at night, and still there is no sign of Aragorn and the Halfling."

Ignoring Glorfindel's concerned gaze she grasped Huitaar's bridle and led him at a walking pace toward the Road where she finally mounted. It was only a few hours later that they heard the sound of water and soon sighted the bridge before them. Glorfindel had abated into the forest to seek more tracks, leaving the young woman to tread the Road alone.

But there, halfway across the bridge, she came to a sight that froze the very blood in her veins... a figure cloaked in black, mounting an ebony stallion with eyes like burning rubies. Halting in his tracks Huitaar snorted, and a thunderous neigh tore itself from his chest – mixed with something that to her ears sounded like a hoarse growl – when the Wraith nudged his horse forward. Never before had Leeya felt such violent anger from him nor had she felt him shaking like that beneath her, but his furious snorts and the pounding of his hoofs against the ground seemed to instill some form of fear into the enemy's steed, now caught between Huitaar's unbridled ire and its master's attempts to make it charge across the bridge.

Finally, when two other Wraiths emerged from the forest on either side of the Road – trapping Leeya in the middle – did the black horse across the bridge gain the courage to heed its rider; and it was then that Leeya understood she had no choice but to stand her ground despite her quivering heart. Beneath her Huitaar too trembled, his muscles tense under the terrifying aura enveloping them from their enemies, but he stood unmoving even when Leeya dismounted and unsheathed her sword.

With the three Wraiths slowly closing the circle around them, the young Ranger finally loosed a gasp when one of them spoke, his voice causing her to clench her jaw so as to hold back from screaming in fear.

"Come with us."

"To Mordor we will take you." another hissed.

"Our Master waits for you." the third one whispered.

Over and over they said that, while the first one leaned over and reached for her; and all she could do was stare, as if something in their voice had frozen her binding her to that place. The armored hand was almost upon her, when she was startled by the sound of Huitaar's enraged neigh as his desire to protect his mistress overcame his fear – and then, like in a dream, she saw him rearing in between her and the Wraith, hitting the black stallion with his front hoofs and frightening the animal into backing away. And as Huitaar placed himself in front of her as if to shield the young woman with his own body, a faint jingle came on the breeze.

No more than a moment later Asfaloth came galloping out of the shades beneath the trees, his snowy coat shining as if the sun itself was rushing toward them, though his saddle was bare... for Glorfindel emerged on the other side of the Road, his hood thrown back and a pale green jewel shining on his brow. More than that, some inner power that he kept hidden had now come forth, for his entire being glowed and the sword in his hand glinted ominously.

"Go back to the abyss!" he commanded, and his clear voice struck panic into the Wraiths' horses, whilst easing Leeya's heart and renewing her courage.

In the commotion – as the Wraiths tried to regain control of their steeds – she jumped back in the saddle and Huitaar again reared, his neigh echoing her battle cry.

"Elendil!" she shouted, her eyes glinting with some hidden strength of her blood.

While Glorfindel too leapt in the saddle and spurred Asfaloth to pursue the now fleeing Wraiths, Leeya joined the chase though it was not for her to cross swords with the servants of Sauron that day. Westward they chased the accursed spirits, until the day paled and the veil of night crept over the world.

Reluctantly the pair gave up their hunt, for it would have been foolish of them to be lured too far from their goal. And so they decided to return to the bridge and from there choose which path to follow. On the way they ran into two other Wraiths, but those too fled from Glorfindel's wrath and rode to the South. Those they did not pursue, but chose to follow through with their initial plan and make for the Mitheithel once again and upon reaching the bridge Glorfindel left the green gem there so that if Aragorn found it, he would have hope that they would receive aid.

Another five days passed with no sign of their quarry, but finally Leeya had discovered traces of a small fire within the Trollshaws, hastily made and just as hastily put out; the tracks she had been able to read in the earth around had led them to believe they belonged to the ones they were seeking – perhaps they might have overlooked them, if Leeya had not discerned that more than half of the footprints were small, like those of children.

Thus they had spent the past two days searching the thick woods for them, until the tracks eventually led them back to the Road; and it was there that Leeya would have given up the search, had Glorfindel not encouraged her to heed her intuition.

"They passed this way... just earlier today."

Looking from the setting sun to where Leeya was crouched on the Road before him, Glorfindel approached and handed her Huitaar's reins when she stood.

"Would he really risk the open Road?" she asked as they mounted. "Knowing the Wraiths are after them?"

It seemed like a foolish thing to do for anyone being hunted, especially a Ranger. But her heart told her that she had read the tracks correctly... that they _would_ lead to Aragorn and Frodo.

"Sometimes it is better to risk moving in the open. Their supplies would not last forever, and the forests around these parts are too thick for swift travel. The Mitheithel is close as well; perhaps he would abandon some part of caution in favor of quickly reaching the bridge in the hopes that they would not be impeded in crossing it. For there is nowhere else they can cross the river but over the Last Bridge, if they are to reach Rivendell without delay."

When she nodded silently, he threw the hood back over his head and took hold of Asfaloth's reins.

"Trust yourself... and trust in your skill. We will find them."

 **= oOoOo =**

"Do you hear that?"

Halting at Frodo's words, Aragorn turned to find the Halfling looking back the way they had come along the winding Road. Straining his ears, the Ranger soon caught the sound of hoofs – faint and distant as if carried to them on the breeze.

"Off the road... quickly!" he ordered.

Yet in spite of his warning, he felt a bud of hope slowly growing in his heart; what it meant he did not yet know, but he could not risk standing in the open without knowing who – or what – was coming their way. Finding shelter in the thicket above the Road, they waited until the wind changed and brought to them the crystalline sound of jingling bells.

"That can't be a Black Rider..." Merry whispered, looking up hopefully to Aragorn who was now leaning toward the Road listening intently. "Can it?"

For what seemed like the longest time the Ranger did not answer, his face darkened by a thoughtful frown as he listened. But as the bell and hoof sounds drew nearer, a sudden smile spread upon his lips and he leapt to his feet, running down toward the Road. At first the Hobbits believed he had lost his mind, but surely he would not rush into danger.

So they followed and emerged onto the Road to the sight of a white horse galloping toward them, his coat shining like fresh snow though the sun had long before set. Atop him was Glorfindel, his hood again thrown back in his haste and his golden hair fluttering wildly behind him. Even before Aragorn raised his arms to gain his attention, the Elf reined in his steed and slowed him down to a walk until at last halting just a few steps away.

It was only then that they noticed the second rider, for both his horse and the hooded cloak concealing his face were black as the darkest night. But they did not get to ask any questions yet, for Glorfindel leapt from the saddle with a relieved smile.

 **"Na vedui, Dúnadan! Mae govannen!"** he greeted, both he and Aragorn clasping each other's shoulder in a friendly gesture.

 **"É mae govannen!"** Aragorn replied, before continuing in the Common Tongue toward the Halflings. "Our misfortune seems to have finally eased its grasp."

"It was not mere chance that had us meeting, Aragorn. We were sent from Rivendell to look for you; we learned of the dangers you faced on the road."

"Has Gandalf reached Rivendell?" Frodo asked, a hopeful smile upon his face.

"He arrived on the day we departed..." Glorfindel's companion replied, causing the group to stare at her upon realizing it was a woman, for her face was too darkened by the cloak. "He told of your journey, and that you carry a great burden; he feared that even with Aragorn leading you, your enemies would force you to turn astray and overcome you in the wild."

"We left nine days ago." Glorfindel continued. "Seven days ago we came to the Last Bridge, where we chased off three of the Wraiths who were waiting for you, and I left a token there. We chased them westward then ran across two others who fled south. Since then we have been searching the forest for you but only yesterday did we find your trail and followed it across the bridge."

"We found your token." Aragorn nodded, revealing the green gem. "And it gave us great hope that you were coming."

When the Ranger held out his hand, Glorfindel shook his head with a gentle smile.

"Keep it, Elessar... it is yours now. But for now, we cannot delay; we have already lingered here too long and I fear the pursue is swift behind us."

"There are five Wraiths behind you." Leeya agreed. "Where the other four are, we do not know; they may already be waiting for us at the Ford."

"We have no choice but to risk the open Road and move quickly." Aragorn sighed.

The Halflings too agreed, but it was not long after they moved out that Frodo was overtaken by weariness and pain, and began swaying on his feet, clutching at Sam's arm.

"Mister Frodo's wounded!" the gardener angrily stated. "He can't go on after nightfall."

With the group halting, Glorfindel took Frodo up in his arms and examined his face which was now deathly pale. As coldness spread from his shoulder, the Halfling began to shiver until Leeya – still concealed by the dark hood – approached at the Elf Lord's side and glanced down at him. He could not see her face, but the pale moon's shine caught upon Glorfindel's steel bracers, lit up her eyes. And though the world was fading to mist around him, so beautiful and kind was her gaze, so gentle her touch upon his forehead, that he could not look away; for her eyes reminded him of the white jewel Strider had shown to them, and a faint shadow of warmth, like the pale summer breeze, chased away some of the numbing coldness in his wound until at last he stopped trembling.

"You shall ride my horse." Glorfindel said, as if he had been waiting for whatever magic his female companion was working, to end. "You need not fear; Asfaloth never lets any rider fall that I command him to bear; and if danger should draw too near, he will carry you away swifter than even the horses of the enemy could run."

"No he will not!" Frodo protested. "I will not be carried away to Rivendell, leaving my friends in danger."

"Danger is drawn to your friends because of you... and what you carry." Leeya replied. "The Wraiths would follow you and leave the rest of us in peace."

No answer came to his mind at her words, and Glorfindel took the chance to place him atop Asfaloth's back, shortening the stirrups up to the saddle-skins and urging the others to keep going without rest. And as the group resumed their journey Leeya fell into the pace at Aragorn's side, though it took a moment for her to muster the courage to speak, beneath his gaze.

"What happened to him?"

"We camped at Amon Sûl, almost two weeks past. Our camp was attacked and Frodo was injured by a Morgul blade. I have kept the hilt, but whatever evil is at work over him is beyond my skill to heal."

"Alas, my skills are no match for wounds made by weapons of the Enemy." Glorfindel lamented. "But knowing this, all the more do I urge you now to go without rest."

"Lord Elrond surely has the knowledge to heal him." Leeya replied, sighting the worry on Sam's face. "He is very wise and has seen many things in his life."

Though the Halfling regarded her with a suspicious glance, for she had not revealed her name to them, his eyes still betrayed that her words had offered him new hope for his master.

"Do you distrust me because I hide my face, Master Hobbit?" she laughed softly.

"It would just make me feel better if I knew who you are, that's all." he muttered, ashamed to have been read out so easily.

Again she laughed and pushed the hood off her head, revealing her youthful smile, and her eyes shined like silver beneath the moon, her black hair now glowing as if with a white halo, that the Hobbits were left staring with their mouths agape.

"I am Eärwen, and I dwell in the house of Elrond."

Though wordless, Aragorn did not miss the glance Glorfindel cast her way; and his heart told him that she was more than what met the eye, and that the name she used may have not been hers since birth. Her attire betrayed her to not be an Elf but a Ranger, yet he dared not trust his intuition... surely it could not be Leeya, Elrond would never allow her to leave Rivendell now when the Wraiths were chasing them.

 **= oOoOo =**

For a time they walked in silence, as the sky grew dark with clouds which covered the face of the moon. They made good progress on their way, but still had to slow the pace when the Hobbits became much too exhausted to keep up with the tireless Glorfindel; Frodo was already asleep in the saddle, his face darkened as he mumbled about some nightly terror plaguing his dreams – and even Aragorn's shoulders had sagged beneath the weight of his weariness, and he looked pale and ready to collapse.

"We must stop..." Leeya whispered, now walking at the front with Glorfindel. "They cannot go on like this; without rest we will only move slower and allow the enemy to catch up to us."

Glancing back to the Halflings stumbling on their feet and Aragorn's half-lidded eyes which showed that his unwavering will was the only thing to keep him standing, the Elf Lord finally nodded and stopped his march.

"Let us seek shelter in the thickets nearby." he advised.

At his words the party happily obliged until they found a good spot in the heather a few yards from the Road. There they all collapsed from weariness and fell into slumber as if some spell had taken hold of them, while to the East the sky grew paler and paler with the coming dawn.

"Take some rest as well, Leeya." Glorfindel whispered. "I shall keep watch."

Whilst he left them and made for the edge of the Road to stand guard, Leeya turned her gaze to where Aragorn had literally fallen upon the thick grass when his knees had buckled from exhaustion. The Halflings had only had enough strength left to wrap themselves in their cloaks while Glorfindel had taken care of Frodo, but Strider had not even bothered with that.

Like a shadow she approached the sleeping man and knelt at his side, but he was too sound asleep to wake when she gently raised his head and placed it on her lap. Removing her cloak she draped it over him then took to keeping a vigil over him.

Though he did not look quite like the young man she had first met, the changes she could see were not toward evil as Elrond's words had at first frightened her into believing. If anything, the kingly aura she could perceive even as a child was now even better defined; strength was in his arms and great power in his blood, wisdom and kindness written in the fine lines that time and the many worries of the world had begun etching upon his face. A true heir of Númenor and a true King of Men, despite the ragged Ranger he used to hide his bloodline.

 **"Quel esta, hîr nín."** she whispered, her fingertips ghosting across the delicate ridges upon his forehead.

Her touch caused his brow to twitch but he did not wake from the deep slumber which had taken hold of him; still Leeya refrained from any further contact and settled for only fixing her gaze on the dark forest surrounding them, allowing her mind to run freely to stories long past which she had heard in Imladris... for the Elves remembered many things which had passed into legend, and their memories never faded like those of Men.

Within the hour daylight had veiled them, strong enough that the young woman could now heed her desire to look upon Aragorn's face; and she did so until Glorfindel returned to wake them, at which moment she gently laid the Ranger's head upon the soft grass and stood... though the Elf's gaze as he approached told her that he was not entirely oblivious to her actions.

"Wake up... wake up!" he called, grasping Aragorn's shoulder and giving it a gentle but firm shake. "We mustn't delay much longer."

Stepping over to Asfaloth he retrieved the leather flask edged with silver which had been hanging on the saddle, and turning to them he handed it to the Ranger who had just gotten to his feet with a curious glance to the cloak he had found himself covered with. When Leeya approached and held out her hand expectantly, their gazes again met and Aragorn felt a warm smile flowering on his lips as understanding dawned on him.

 **"Hannon le."** he whispered with a light bow of his head.

Her only reply was a smile in which too many emotions mingled for him to read and, even as he accepted the flask from Glorfindel, Strider knew in that moment that his greatest wish would forever be her joy. Whilst she went to check the harness on her steed, he took a drink from the Elf's flask and the liquid inside gave his body renewed vigor and strength. Passing it over to the Halflings he took to speaking with their guide to choose how they would travel that day.

After a frugal breakfast – consisting of stale bread and dried fruit – they once again took to the Road and marched on until nightfall with only two short pauses... and even those Glorfindel had only allowed for Frodo's sake. In the dark hours of the night they slept poorly with Glorfindel, Leeya and Aragorn taking turns to keep watch so as to spare the Hobbits; and when the day arrived again it was cloudy and grey, weighing heavily on their hearts.

"The greatest peril will be when we reach the river..." Glorfindel said as they set out for another day's march. "For I fear what awaits us by the Ford, and my heart warns me that the chase is now swift behind us."

None answered his worries, as they all shared the same thoughts; they marched in heavy silence until, in the early evening, they came to a sharp incline of the Road – beneath it they saw a long flat mile... and beyond it the Ford of Rivendell. But Leeya had been glancing uneasily over her shoulder for the past few hours, and often it seemed to her that there was sound of footsteps following theirs. Again she looked back now that they had stopped, for the pursuing sounds had not ceased... for only a moment Glorfindel did the same, before his eyes widened and he lunged forward.

"Fly!" he cried. "The enemy is upon us! Fly!"

Without hesitation Asfaloth sprang down the steep slope, carrying his small rider as swiftly as an arrow; the Hobbits followed with Sam pulling on their pony's reins; Glorfindel and Aragorn bared their swords to serve as the rear-guard whilst Leeya tugged on Huitaar's bridle and hurried along the Road. They were not even halfway down, when a black horse came galloping through the trees at the top of the slope bearing its terrible rider – then another followed, and a few moments later two more joined them. And yet they did not pursue the party, but stopped at the top of the incline their ominous hisses floating on the breeze.

"Ride forward! Ride!" Glorfindel called to Frodo, who had reined in the Elf horse and turned to look behind.

Instead of heeding his command, the Halfling's face suddenly contorted into an expression of hatred, and he drew his sword. But before he could tug on the reins to turn Asfaloth around, Leeya rushed past the Elf Lord and leapt in the saddle behind Frodo. Her arms at either side of the young Hobbit, she took the reins from his weak grasp and Asfaloth reared with a startled neigh causing her hood to fall back. When the black steed attempted to follow them, she raised a hand and gestured for him to halt.

"Stay with them, Huitaar! Keep them safe!" she called just as the Wraiths screeched and their horses lunged down the slope.

It was at her words that Aragorn's heart leapt in his chest, and all too suddenly realization crashed upon him. Like in a dream he saw the four Wraiths galloping toward them, and then the young woman tugging on Asfaloth's reins to steady him.

"Ride on! Ride on!"

Glorfindel's call echoed in the Ranger's head as if from underground, and even the sound of his own breath seemed strange to him as his widened eyes met hers for a moment; but then she tore her gaze away and once more tugged on the reins.

 **"Noro lim, Asfaloth!"**

At her cry the white steed sprang forward, carrying both her and Frodo with him just as the Wraiths galloped past the rest of the group with a chilling screech – and all Aragorn could do was to stand there as if rooted to that spot, watching Leeya being carried away as death pursued her.

* * *

Glossary:

 _Na vedui, Dúnadan!_ = At last, Dúnadan!

 _Mae govannen!_ = Well met!

 _É mae govannen!_ = Well met, indeed!

 _Quel esta, hîr nín_ = Rest well, my Lord

 _Hannon le_ = Thank you

 _Noro lim, Asfaloth!_ = Run swiftly, Asfaloth!

The name Leeya used to conceal her identity - Eärwen - means "mistress of the sea" and she used it in a way to hide herself from Aragorn but at the same time to give him a hint as to who she really is.

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1\. **angel897** \- Well I hope their meeting was everything you hoped it would be... probably not, though xD Still, I hope you enjoyed it for what it was, darling. I guess you could say that their real reunion won't happen until they reach Rivendell, because on the way there they kind of have more important things to worry over... about nine of them, to be exact :P

2\. **TheLunaGoddess** \- Haha well her visions will eventually be explained, though that probably won't happen until very late in the story. I always enjoy having many threads in my stories that will eventually tie in to one another somewhere at the end. Just rest assured that she's not having visions of Sauron torturing her just because I want her to be some sort of damsel in distress xD They do have a purpose ;)

3\. **Arianna Le Fay** \- Oh wow, my first reviewer from my home country! Hiya, darling :D I'd lost hope that any other Romanians would ever come across this website, but you have no idea how happy I am that I'm not the only one interested in reading and writing. But to get to the point, thank you so very much for the kind words, it's always such great joy to know that my readers enjoy my work.

I'm hoping the way I wrote their first meeting in decades wasn't too different from how you imagined it; though their reunion in Rivendell which will probably happen in the next chapter, might be closer to what people expected to read. But I'm glad to see you're enjoying the journey so far and I hope to see you again before the end :D

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


	8. The Ford of Loudwater

Okay, here we are at the next chapter, darlings. This took a while to write because work has been murder for me; I've been in a period of accommodation until now so it's been really hectic. But I'm finally done with that and now I should be able to manage my time much better.

So thank you so very much to those who stuck around patiently, you are all awesome! And welcome to new readers, hopefully you'll enjoy this journey I invite you to take with me :)

But I won't rant any longer, I'll let you guys enjoy the new chapter. Just don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think :D

Enjoy, lovelies~

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **7\. The Ford of Loudwater**

 _At her cry the white steed sprang forward [...] and all Aragorn could do was to stand there as if rooted to that spot, watching Leeya being carried away as death pursued her._

 **= oOo =**

The feeling of Glorfindel's hand grasping his shoulder caused Aragorn's heart to leap within his chest, and he became aware that the Hobbits were watching him with great confusion and concern written on their faces; and only then did he realize he had not moved at all and that the sword had fallen from his grasp.

"We should go." the Elf suggested, gently nudging the Ranger to walk.

"Why would Lord Elrond let her leave Imladris? Why _now_ of all times?" he asked after stiffly retrieving the blade and sheathing it.

" _Let_ her?" Glorfindel replied with a measure of amusement in his tone. "My friend, no rope or chain could have restrained her; especially after Mithrandir arrived, wounded and exhausted, and struck fear of the worst in our hearts."

A soft whinny and the bump of a muzzle against his arm drew the Ranger's attention briefly to Leeya's stallion. In that moment, as man and beast glanced at each other, Aragorn knew that they both shared the desire of following her; and yet, the male reached out not to grasp Huitaar's bridle and leap in the saddle to pursue the Wraiths... his hand instead settled onto the horse's neck, and he felt the animal's muscles slightly easing their tension beneath his touch.

"Alone we would be of too little help, if any... we must all be there, if we are to aid her." he said before looking to the others. "Come!"

Finally grasping the bridle while the stallion flattened his ears and whinnied once more, Aragorn took to the road again, running to catch up to the Wraiths and their quarry. And his heart burned within him, his pace terribly faster than ever before – to where even Glorfindel marveled silently at the Ranger's endurance – his wrist whitened from how tightly he was holding onto the reins to lead Huitaar. But the Hobbits dared not complain, though they had great trouble keeping up with him and the nimble Elf, for they too had realized by now who the woman was and their hearts were heavy with worry – not only for Frodo, but also for her – for she had so boldly taken it upon herself to face death for the sake of their friend, without hesitation and without any obligation to protect him.

It was shortly afterwards that they heard the murmur of the Ford, still some distance away, and the breeze carried neighs of horses and sharp screeches to them.

"There." Glorfindel suddenly spoke.

When they looked up they saw the Elf Lord already heading off-road, to a few nearby stunted trees which revealed a hidden hollow.

"Tie the horses here; they will be safe until we return for them."

Paying no more heed to Aragorn and the Hobbits, he rushed to the other side of the trees and soon returned with an armful of dry twigs and leaves. Placing it to the side, he looked up when the wind carried to them the echo of Asfaloth's unbridled neigh, followed by Frodo's voice and more shrieks from the Wraiths.

Knowing his mind, Aragorn rushed over and gathered the leaves in a small pile, mixing them with dried moss that Sam had brought from home to use as tinder; taking out a piece of flint and a dagger, he fervently began to scrape them together – while Merry and Pippin helped to prepare the wood for the fire – until the tinder nest sparked a tiny flame. Carefully he then cradled the burning leaves and set them in the midst of the twigs, blowing gently upon them until at long last the wood cracked and sparked as the flames grew in strength.

Glorfindel too had not sat idly by whilst the Ranger was preparing the fire, but had swiftly circled the hollow to bring back thin tree branches that they could use as torches.

"So why are we doing this?" Pippin finally asked.

"The Ford will not suffer the Wraiths to pass; there will be a flood coming down the river." the Elf replied. "And we will be the only thing to stand in the way of any enemies that remain on this side of the waters."

One by one he thrust the branches into the dancing flames, and handed one to each of them.

"Find courage in your hearts; for your friend."

With those urging words he rushed back to the road just as the echo of clashing swords reached them, mixed with Leeya's shout, and the river's calm flow turned to a thunderous rumble.

 **= oOoOo =**

 **"Lintië, Asfaloth!"**

The young woman's voice as she urged the Elf-horse onwards startled Frodo, but she was starting to sound farther and farther from him as the numbness and cold in his arm was spreading to his entire left side; he could not tell when the other five Riders had joined the chase, but as the Wraiths closed the distance, trying to trap them in a circle, fear took him over. Yet it was then that he felt the stallion's muscles tightening beneath him as the white horse gathered his strength, and the world became a blur of dimming colors when Asfaloth sprang forward with a last spurt, passing right before the face of the foremost Wraith, the bells on his harness leaving a wild and shrill jingle lingering in his wake.

Frodo heard the dismayed wails of the Wraiths behind them, and the heaving snorts of their horses as their masters urged them on without mercy. And then, finally the Ford came into view – it seemed to him that the trees had so suddenly opened up to reveal the flowing waters, as if they had come to life and had willingly stepped aside to ease the crossing for the Elf-horse.

And then, with a sudden splash of water, icy wetness engulfed his feet and he saw the river foaming around them. As if possessed Asfaloth neighed and snorted, battling the rushing waves, and only then did Frodo realize Leeya was no longer in the saddle but in front of them; one hand grasping the stallion's bridle, her heaves mixed with Asfaloth's as she fought to aid him in traversing the Ford, swollen by the abundant autumn rains. It proved to be a difficult crossing and a few times she slipped on the rocks lying hidden beneath the water, but each time Asfaloth was there to steady her, until with one last heave and surge they emerged onto the other side.

From there the road was no easier than the crossing itself, and Leeya had to remain on foot to help the stallion climb the steep bank. But at the top Asfaloth halted and turned to face the river below, his fierce neigh echoing over the sound of water to the nine black figures on the other side of the Ford.

"Go back!" the Halfling suddenly cried, his voice sounding thin and weak in his ears. "Go back to the Land of Mordor!"

Ignoring him, the foremost Wraith spurred his horse onwards and the stallion reared upon testing the rushing waters, but ultimately gathered the courage to cross whilst the other eight laughed with shrill cackles at the Hobbit.

"Come back!" some of them shrieked mockingly. "To Mordor we will take the both of you!"

"The Ring! The Ring!" the others cried, death in their tone.

As if by a silent command, two of them spurred their horses into the water to follow their leader who was almost upon the other shore. And Frodo felt the numbness taking hold of his entire body as the entire world faded to grey, but suddenly a flash of white sprung past him whilst Asfaloth reared and neighed. And when the stallion settled, in the dying rays of the sun the Halfling saw Leeya running down the steep slope, sword in hand; the dark cloak left in the grass next to the white stallion, her black hair fluttered wildly behind her and yet a faint light seemed to shine from within her – a light that no flesh or cloth could ever conceal.

 **"Noro lim, Asfaloth! Colhé n'Imladris!"** she cried.

But Frodo was now too weak to protest, though the thought of leaving her there with the Wraiths was terrifying; yet much to his relief, the Elf-horse seemed just as reluctant to heed that command and stood there upon the edge of the slope, as if ready to gallop to her aid at any moment.

In front of her, the Wraith's horse saw the murderous glint in her silvery eyes and snorted in fear; its rider, just as startled by the sudden power revealed to him, unsheathed his blade just as – with a battle cry – the young woman came at him. Steel clashed with steel and echoed over the angry river, but when the Rider pulled back as if fearing to harm her, she brought the sword in a horizontal sweep slashing at the black horse instead. A terrible neigh tore itself from the beast's chest when the blade bit into its flesh, drops of warm blood staining Leeya's fair cheeks as she leapt back and away from the rearing stallion.

Then a thunderous roar echoed to them from the nearby peaks, and with it came a flood of boiling waters rolling many stones torn from the mountain itself. Frodo opened his mouth to call the woman back, but his voice had not the strength to overcome the unleashed fury of the river. But then his dimming gaze was drawn to the waves, and it seemed to him that the foam was no longer foam, but white riders atop white horses and the roar of the river was their battle cry.

The Wraiths' leader was the first to go, as his steed succumbed to the deadly wound and collapsed in the water along with its rider even before the flood had reached them. The other two had no more time to turn back and were swept away, whilst Leeya turned as well and ran back up the slope; but the rising waters quickly caught up with her and the soil beneath her feet turned to slippery mud until she had to crawl her way to the top. At the very edge Asfaloth bit into her coat and pulled her up until with one last effort she felt the grass beneath her hands.

All the while Frodo felt awareness slowly slipping away from him, but still perked up at the sound of shouts coming from the other bank. Amidst the grey mist falling over the world, he saw the remaining Wraiths on the far shore... beyond them, however, stood a being made of light and small shadowy figures ran up behind him, waving flames. Asfaloth whinnied lightly as Leeya sat up, a relieved laugh escaping her at the sight of Aragorn and Glorfindel across the river, sword in one hand and a burning torch in the other.

Together with the three Hobbits they made a tight circle around the remaining Wraiths; but before the phantoms could retaliate, their horses were filled with madness at the sight of the fire, leaping forward and bearing their riders into the thundering waters, their chilling shrieks quickly engulfed by the flood.

And as their enemies were being carried downstream, Aragorn son of Arathorn raised his gaze and for the first time saw the figure standing next to the white stallion, dripping with water, covered in mud and stained in blood, her hair disheveled and the cloak gone from her shoulders to reveal her earthy attire; and the heart leapt within him, beating against his chest stronger than ever before, for she now revealed herself to his eyes with all the strength of the Dúnedain's blood – what he saw atop that slope was not Leeya the woman... but Leeya the warrior.

* * *

Glossary:

 _Lintië, Asfaloth!_ = Quickly, Asfaloth!

 _Noro lim, Asfaloth!_ = Run swiftly, Asfaloth!

 _Colhé n'Imladris!_ = Bear him to Imladris!

As I'm sure many of you know, the name of Aragorn's stallion - _Roheryn_ \- is of Elvish origins, meaning **"steed of the Lady"** ; he was named that way because in the canon story, Arwen was the one who gifted him to Aragorn.

Now the name Leeya gave to her own stallion - _Huitaar_ \- is also of Elvish origins and it means **"shadow of the King"**. If you recall her reasoning for naming him that, it was because she had received him as a gift from Aragorn, who came from a long line of Kings. Whether she unknowingly prophesied his ascension to the throne remains to be seen.

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1\. **betsy359** \- Well, here it is darling. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as the other chapters and that you're looking forward to the next one :D

2\. **angel897** \- Aww I hope your week(s) went well too, darling. Sorry for taking this long to update again, hopefully I'll be able to update more often from now on after I divide my time properly.

3\. **Twitch88** \- Yay new reader! Welcome, darling! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the story so far and I hope you'll have lots of fun on this journey :D

4\. **lucksby92** \- Aww thank you so very much for the compliments, love. As I said before, I'm not sure how original my idea is - heck, it's an Aragorn/OC pairing, it's been done before - but hopefully it still brings at least a few new elements to the whole "retelling LotR" thing.

5\. **Lelleg** \- Oh that's probably one of the best compliments I could get on this story, to hear that my lovely readers are invested in it and in the characters. Thank you so very much for making my day with this review, darling! I hope you'll have lots of fun with the rest of the story and that it will keep you just as invested, if not more :D

6\. **Usedmemories** \- Haha don't worry, love; they'll have plenty of chances to have more passionate reactions when they see each other ;)

But joke aside, initially I was going to have them reach Rivendell in this chapter, because I know how much everyone's waiting for the moment when Aragorn and Leeya get to "have words" in a peaceful setting. But the scene at the Ford was just too much fun to pass up, so you guys get a bit more teasing instead :P

Although I like to think the final moment of this chapter played a very important role that will hopefully be plainly obvious soon enough ;)

7\. **Savage Kill** \- Well here you are, darling, the next chapter ;) Hopefully I'll be able to finish and upload the next one faster than this.

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


	9. Interlude

Alright, so starting next chapter I will add some of Tolkien's more... let's say secretive characters – the Valar and the Maiar (well, some of them at least). So I decided that it's best to give you guys a bit of info about the Valar and the Maiar, because there might be some of you who have yet to read _The Silmarillion_ , which is the book telling the history of Arda from its creation, through the war against Melkor, all the way up to the War of the Ring which is detailed in the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy.

Call it a history lesson, if you like. Now I don't guarantee that all of these Valar and Maiar I mention below will show up for certain in my story. But I think (and I hope) that Tolkien's rich lore about them is interesting enough for you to give this list a read. That way, when you see one of those names mentioned and don't quite know where to place it, you can refer to this list and make your life a lot easier. I tried to give as brief and as thorough a description as I could about each character, because the lore surrounding every one of them is so rich and beautiful and it was almost impossible for me to not rant on forever regarding them.

First off, to understand Tolkien's deity system, you need to understand what they were. So I will start off by explaining the terms which nominate the various "deities" in Tolkien's Legendarium. I know I already explained some terms but I will do it again here, to make the list complete, giving a more detailed and more accurate explanation of the terms. What some people probably do not know, was that Tolkien was a Catholic and that his entire Legendarium was created upon Christian symbolism. So wherever possible, I will try to point out what religious personage one of Tolkien's characters is supposed to symbolize – just a bit of food for thought.

As a side note, replies to reviews will come at the end of the actual chapter which will be posted soon. So no worries, darlings, I will reply to you whether you commented on the previous chapter, or you have something to add or ask in regards to this list ;)

So with that said, let's get started, shall we?

 _-o-o-o-o-_

 **Eru (The One) / Ilúvatar (The Father of All):** Eru is the one and only omnipresent and omnipotent creator in existence. He has existed forever and is the only being which was not created, but is self sustainable. He possesses the Flame Imperishable within Him, which kindles existence from nothingness. He first created the Ainur and – to further their understanding of His thought – presented His vision to them in the form of music; slowly the Ainur picked up on His themes and learned to sing in harmony with each other. Once Ilúvatar created Eä, the Ainur entered that new world and filled it with their song, helping to shape it according to the Music that Ilúvatar had presented to them.

After creating the Elves and Men, however, Eru rarely intervened directly in the fates of Arda, instead leaving Manwë as His vice-regent there – although Manwë often sought His counsel. For that He was seldom worshipped in Arda, and His name was considered too holy to be invoked "in jest or without full intent". In fact, the only people known to openly worship Ilúvatar were the Númenóreans who praised Him in the Three Prayers held during the course of a year. After they were destroyed, no one in Arda was seen to so openly worship Him as a deity – at best we only have a few instances where alliances or oaths were made in His name.

But it is said that at the end of days Eru Himself will enter Eä to save his Children, after which he will unite them with the Ainur to create a form of Music even greater than the one of Eä's creation. This is probably a very easy parallel to make, as Eru is supposed to represent the Christian God, who is considered the only being which exists through Himself without needing a creator.

 **The Ainur (Ainu, sg.):** Translated as the "Holy Ones", this term encompasses all of Tolkien's deities which were created by Ilúvatar. They were the "offspring of Ilúvatar's thought" and each of them only understood that part of His mind from whence they were born. The only exception was Melkor, who had a part of the gifts of all other Ainur. Although all of them were born from Ilúvatar's thought, in His mind some of them were siblings (for example Melkor and Manwë), and all of them were created before the real world, known as _Eä (The World that Is)_. I will save the parallel with Christian elements for later, as the Ainur themselves are separated into various groups.

 **Eä (The World that Is):** This name encompasses not only Middle Earth and Valinor, but the entirety of the universe in existence. Arda is the name given to what we could consider to be our Earth, and in it are the realms of Middle Earth and Valinor (or Aman, as it is known among the Elves).

 **The Valar (Vala, sg.):** Translated as "Angelic Power", this term encompasses the first group of Ainur, which can be easily paralleled with the Christian angels. Also known as the Powers of Arda, the Valar were fourteen of the mightiest beings created by Ilúvatar. The fifteenth, Melkor, turned aside from that path and became the source of all evil. In Eru's mind some of the Valar were siblings, but others were couples; and so the Valar were the first ones to practice marriage, passing on that custom to the Elves who spread it to the other peoples of Arda.

 **The Maiar (Maia, sg.):** Translated as "The Beautiful", the Maiar were technically still Ainur, but of lesser power and station than the Valar. They were spirits serving one or more of the fourteen Valar, and though they were great in numbers very few are named in Tolkien's Legendarium. The most obvious parallel which could be made for them is that they represent the saints from the Christian view of the world, who are lesser in status and power than the angels. There are several Maiar who are quite famous – the best known of them being the five Istari or Wizards who went to Middle Earth in the Second Age, to aid the peoples there in the struggle against Sauron.

 **Melkor (He Who Arises in Might) / Morgoth (Dark Enemy):** Originally created by Eru as the brightest, most beautiful and most powerful of the Ainur, Melkor fell through pride, jealousy and hatred of others. He rose against his creator and his fellow Ainur and became the primordial source of evil in the world; after committing many atrocities in the First Age, he was finally defeated in the War of Wrath and imprisoned for all time – and for his crimes he was no longer counted among the Aratar, or even among the Ainur.

The parallel with Christianity is probably obvious by now... Melkor is Tolkien's name for Lucifer, the greatest angel ever created by God, who also rose against his creator out of pride and after his fall was named Satan.

 _-o-o-o-o-_

 _ **The Aratar (High Valar)**_

 **Manwë (Blessed One) / Súlimo (The Breather):** Brother to Melkor, Manwë was one of the eldest of the Ainur and after Melkor's fall was known as the King of the Valar. He was the greatest in authority, though Melkor had the greater power, and was known to have dominion over the winds and birds. He was a kind and compassionate ruler, unconcerned with his own power and ultimately unable to understand the nature of Melkor's evil, being himself completely free of it.

 **Varda (The Sublime) / Elbereth (Queen of the Stars):** The Queen of the Valar and wife to Manwë, Varda was the most beautiful of Eru's creations – it was said that her face radiated the light of Eru Ilúvatar, being beyond the description of words. She was the Ainu most feared and hated by Melkor, for she knew his mind even before he fell and rejected him for it. Varda created the stars which shine in the heavens above Arda, and for this she was most loved by the Elves. At times she answered the prayers of not only Elves, but also other races; the most famous example is during the War of the Ring, when she aided Samwise Gamgee in his battle against Shelob, through the Phial of Galadriel which contained the Light of Eärendil.

 **Ulmo (He Who Pours):** The King of the Seas, Ulmo was one of Arda's chief architects and always held a close friendship with Manwë, though Melkor feared him almost as much as he feared Varda, knowing that he would never be able to tame the sea. He was said to be a frightening sight to the mortal eye, but contrary to his appearance Ulmo deeply loved both Elves and Men, even when the other Valar forsook Middle Earth. He held dominion over all waters of the world, even those under the ground, and through these as well as the Maiar serving him he learned more of the goings on with the Children of Ilúvatar, than even Manwë himself.

 **Aulë (He Who Invents) / Mahal (The Maker):** The Smith of the Valar and husband to Yavanna, Aulë was the Ainu most similar in thought and powers to Melkor. He is responsible for creating the substances which composed Arda, and he delighted in works of skill but was not concerned with possession or mastery. And though both he and Melkor ended up creating beings of their own, Aulë always strived to keep everything he made true to the original intent of the _Music of the Ainur_ , and submitted all that he did to the will of Eru. His greatest work was the creation of the seven Fathers of the Dwarves who – after Ilúvatar scolded Aulë for creating them out of impatience – were accepted as Eru's adopted children, second to the Elves who were the First Born.

 **Yavanna (The Giver of Fruits) / Kementári (Queen of the Earth):** Aulë's wife and elder sister to Vána, she was the Vala presiding over all growing things in Arda. After Melkor's fall, when he began to corrupt her beloved creatures, she contended with him and supported all the plans against him. In the _Music of the Ainur_ her thought met with Manwë's, setting the arrival of the Great Eagles – of whom the best known is Gwaihir for the numerous occasions in which he aided Gandalf the Grey. After Ilúvatar allowed the Dwarves to live, she feared they would destroy all the trees of the world and so Eru, to settle her concerns, allowed her to create the Ents. Her greatest creation, however, were the Two Trees of Valinor; one was the silver Telperion of which later the Moon was born and even later on one of his descendants sprouted the White Tree of Gondor, and the other was the golden Laurelin of which the Sun came at a later time.

 **Oromë (The Horn-Blower):** Huntsman of the Valar, he is the brother of Nessa and husband to Vána. He was one of the most active Valar in the struggle against Melkor, and often hunted monsters in the forests of Middle Earth. He so loved Middle Earth, that when the Valar withdrew completely and hid themselves in Aman, he was initially unwilling to leave those shores. Even afterwards he still often trekked the forests of Middle Earth, and was the first to discover the Elves and the first who named them the Eldar; following this he always remained in close friendship with their race.

 **Nienna (She Who Weeps):** Sister to Námo and Irmo, she was concerned with mourning and deeply pitied the suffering of others. She played an important part in the creation of the Two Trees of Valinor, her tears watering the mound of earth over which Yavanna sang the trees into existence. She dwelt in Western Valinor, her halls overseeing the sea, and there she wept for all the destruction Melkor brought into Middle Earth. Later, she wept at the destruction of the Two Trees by Melkor's hand, and though her tears always brought healing to others they were not powerful enough to save the trees; but with her aid Telperion brought forth his last flower, and Laurelin her last fruit, which were then turned into the Moon and Sun. However, she is best known through her most beloved pupil, the Maia Olórin, whom she taught pity, patience, hope and endurance of spirit.

 **Námo (He Who Judges) / Mandos (The Prison-Fortress):** The Judge of the Valar, brother to Nienna and Lórien, and husband to Vairë. He rules over the Houses of the Dead in Northern Valinor, better known as the Halls of Mandos, where the spirits of the slain go to reside. He remembers and knows nearly all things that were and will be and, together with Manwë, he understands best the Vision of Ilúvatar. He is probably best known for his role in the _Tale of Beren and Lúthien_ – after Beren and the Elf-maiden Lúthien died, she sang a song of such extraordinary power and beauty that it moved even the implacable heart of Mandos; he then returned Beren to a second life and gave Lúthien a unique fate, to become mortal and return to Middle Earth with him.

 _-o-o-o-o-_

 _ **The Lesser Valar**_

 **Irmo (Master of Desires) / Lórien (Land of Dreams):** The younger brother of Námo and Nienna, husband to Estë. His more common name, Lórien, is actually the name of the gardens where he dwells within Valinor along with his spouse; it is said to be the most beautiful place in all existence, filled with Maiar who serve him and his wife, and all the Ainur come to his gardens to rest and draw refreshment from his well. He presides over and is associated with hope, inspiration, love, desire, dreams, sleep and visions.

 **Estë (Rest):** Known as Estë the Gentle, she was the wife of Irmo and the Healer of All Hurts and Weariness. Together with her husband she tended to the Elves who came to live in Valinor. It was due to her prayers, and those of Irmo, that Varda changed her judgment regarding the course of the Sun and Moon in the sky, allowing for a time of night so that the world might rest.

 **Vairë (The Ever-Weaving):** Wife of Námo, she dwells in the Halls of Mandos where she forever weaves her "storied webs" which cover the walls. It is said that as time passes, her tapestries will cover the entirety of Námo's halls, as Vairë is responsible for weaving the story of Arda.

 **Vána (Beautiful One):** Younger sister to Yavanna and wife of Oromë, she was known as the Ever-Young and was responsible for preserving the youth made for all life in Arda. The best known Maiar to serve her were Arien – before she came to carry the vessel of the Sun – and Melian before her departure to live in Middle Earth.

 **Tulkas (Steadfast):** Husband to Nessa, Tulkas is the Vala who delights most in war and contest; he is not easily angered but should he fall prey to ire, he is very slow to forgive. His most renowned feat happened during the War for Sake of the Elves, where he wrestled Melkor and bound him with the great chain Angainor, forged by Aulë.

 **Nessa (Young):** Sister to Oromë and wife of Tulkas, whom she married during the Spring of Arda. She was lithe and swift of foot, and loved all fast moving creatures; one of her names was The Dancer for she loved music and dancing for the delight of the Valar.

 _-o-o-o-o-_

 _ **The Maiar**_

 **Eönwë / Urion (He of the Sun):** The banner-bearer and herald of Manwë, Eönwë is said to the very best in Arda with weapons. He possessed great wisdom and often taught the remaining Edain, enriching them with great knowledge before the raising of Númenor.

 **Ilmarë (Starlight):** Along with Eönwë, she was one of the Chiefs of the Maiar, the handmaiden of Varda and a guardian spirit of the stars.

 **Mairon (The Admirable) / Sauron (The Abhorred):** Originally a Maia of Aulë the Smith, Mairon surpassed all other Maiar in power and learned much from his first master in the ways of forging and crafting. During his time in Aulë's service he was good and uncorrupt, his greatest virtue being his love of order and perfection, disliking anything wasteful. This, however, proved to be his downfall in the end, for in the fallen Morgoth he saw the will and power to achieve his own goals faster than if he had pursued them on his own. Without listing all of his terrible feats from the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy, I will only mention one of the greatest catastrophes in the history of Arda, which he initiated.

In the Second Age he was captured by Ar-Pharazôn, the last King of Númenor, and taken back to the island kingdom as a hostage. There, in just a few years, he rose to the rank of the King's most trusted advisor and earned the trust and love of all his Court. Through trickery and lies, he convinced the King to rebel against the Valar and attack Valinor to claim it for his own. His plan was foiled when Eru Ilúvatar intervened directly – Númenor was drowned in the sea and the army which had reached Aman was buried under mountains of falling rock and imprisoned in the Caves of the Forgotten.

Only a handful of faithful Númenóreans, led by Elendil, were spared from the flood; aided by Ulmo they traversed the sea and came to Middle Earth, where they founded the kingdom of Gondor and Arnor.

 **Melian (Dear Gift):** A Maia serving Vána and Estë, she initially dwelt in Lórien, tending to the trees which grew in the Gardens of Irmo. Among the Maiar she was the wisest, most beautiful and most skilled in singing enchanting songs. When the Elves awoke she traveled to Middle Earth and filled it with the sound of her singing and the singing of her birds. It was there that she met and fell in love with the Elvenking Thingol, later marrying him and becoming Queen of Doriath at his side. She is probably best known as the mother of Lúthien Tinúviel – the fairest of all Elf-maidens ever to live – and for being the friend and mentor of Galadriel.

 **Arien (Maiden of Sunlight):** Originally a Maia in service to Vána and Varda, Arien was a spirit of fire whom Melkor could not seduce nor draw into his service. As the Guardian of the Sun, she was the Maia most loved by Men, as her first journey across the sky – after the death of Laurelin – signaled the Awakening of Men, the Second Born among the Children of Ilúvatar.

 **Tilion (The Horned):** Originally he was a Maia in service to Oromë the Huntsman, but often he came to the gardens of Estë to rest in the silver light of Telperion. After the tree died, he took the last silver flower in a vessel forged by Aulë and rose with it to the heavens, becoming the Guardian of the Moon. It is said he was a bit reckless and for the love he bore Arien, he sometimes strayed from his path and got burned when in close proximity to the Sun, causing the Moon to be at times in the sky at the same time as the Sun, not appear at all or even block out Arien's light.

 **Ossë:** A Maia in service of Ulmo and husband to Uinen, Ossë was a spirit of the sea who guarded the waters around Middle Earth. During the shaping of Arda he briefly served Melkor, causing wanton storms which made traveling by sea near impossible. At Aulë's bidding, Uinen calmed him down and made him see his mistake in listening to Melkor's lies; he repented and was forgiven by Ulmo who took him back into his service. Even so, his fondness of storms never quite died out and whenever he grew restless in the Second Age, the mariners of Númenor called for help from Uinen to calm him.

 **Uinen (No Water):** Wife of Ossë, she was a Maia in service to Ulmo chosen to preside over all creatures and weeds that grew in salty waters, which she loved dearly. Later she became the patron of all mariners, and was the one they prayed to for help in calming her husband's storms. The Númenóreans also lived under her protection while their love and respect of the Valar endured.

 **Salmar (Lyre) / Lirillo (Vala of the Song):** Now Salmar is a very interesting character, for it is still not completely clear whether Tolkien intended to create him as a Maia or a Vala. Tolkien's lore states that he was in service to Ulmo and was the twin brother of Amillo – "the youngest of the Valar". Salmar is the one who created the Ulumúri, the great conches which produce the music of the sea; it is said that anyone who hears them will never forget their music and will forever long for the sea. He was also the only one at Ulmo's side when the Valar first entered Arda.

So he is a character shrouded in mystery... in the end, is he a Maia or one of the lesser Valar?

In _The History of Middle Earth_ and _The Book of Lost Tales_ he is clearly shown as brother to Amillo, and together they are "the Valar of music, song and dance". In the same work it is also told that he later became known as "Vala Noldorin" for his love of the Dwarves – the name may sound familiar from the _Fellowship of the Ring_ movie, where Galadriel gifts Merry and Pippin with the Daggers of the Noldorin.

It was only in the final version of _The Silmarillion_ that, in the index, Salmar was listed as a Maia for the first time but we can still only guess at Tolkien's true intent with this character. For those who are curious about him – and who want to know why I chose this seemingly obscure character to play a **VERY** important part in my retelling of _The Lord of the Rings_ , I'll post on my profile a link to an article I stumbled across quite some time ago, that opened an entire new world for me regarding Salmar and other "lost Valar" like him.

 **Curumo (Skillful One) / Saruman (Man of Skill):** He was originally a Maia in service to Aulë the Smith – just as Mairon-Sauron once was. After the creation of the Rings of Power, around the middle of the Second Age, Manwë called a Council in Valinor where it was decided to send five emissaries to Middle Earth. Their goal was to help the free peoples unite and stand against Sauron whose power was ever growing. It was decided for the messengers to be _"mighty, peers of Sauron, yet forgo might and clothe themselves in flesh"_. Curumo was chosen to lead the group after he volunteered for the task, and the others appointed to accompany him were Olórin, Aiwendil, Alatar and Pallando.

They were given a new name by the peoples inhabiting Middle Earth – Istari, or Wizards – and they were forbidden by the Valar to ever match Sauron in power or in fear, or to seek to rule the Free Peoples.

 **Olórin (Dreamer) / Gandalf (Elf of the Wand) / Mithrandir (The Grey Pilgrim):** Known as the very wisest of all the Maiar, Olórin was created by Ilúvatar before the _Music of the Ainur_ , and served Manwë, Varda, Irmo and Nienna during his time in Valinor. When he was first chosen by Manwë to go to Middle Earth, he refused, claiming he was too weak and too afraid of Sauron; ultimately he conceded to Manwë insisting that he should go, and after Varda convinced her husband to not send Olórin as the third of the group, but as the second. During his time in Middle Earth, much like his teacher Nienna, he took great pity on the sorrows of the Children of Ilúvatar and drove all those who listened to him out of despair.

 **Aiwendil (Bird-Friend) / Radagast (Tender of Beasts):** Originally a Maia in service to Yavanna, Aiwendil tied a strong friendship with Olórin whom he later aided several times during their stay in Middle Earth. It is not known when or if Aiwendil ever left Middle Earth after the defeat of Sauron, but we are given some information from Tolkien's writings that never made it into published works. He says that Aiwendil became so obsessed with the flora and fauna of Middle Earth that he forgot why he had been sent there in the first place, and presumably he was not allowed to return to Valinor. However, he also wrote that Radagast's failure was not as great as Saruman's and that perhaps he was eventually allowed entry into Aman.


	10. Loving a memory

Soooo darlings, here we are with a new chapter. I'm so very sorry it took so long to get it out, work is keeping me much busier than I had thought. And the same is true that I am a very firm believer in quality over quantity, so I prefer to take my time and put out as good a chapter as I can, rather than pumping out poor quality chapters one after the other.

Before I forget, hop over to my Photobucket and check out the new pictures I uploaded there. Hope you'll like them; also, you can consider the "Aragorn & Leeya" picture as a sneak peek for the next chapter :3

But I hope all you lovelies are doing well and that you're enjoying this lovely spring. Now I'll leave you to get to reading, just don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know what you think ;)

Enjoy, lovelies~

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **8\. Loving a memory**

 _And as their enemies were being carried downstream, Aragorn son of Arathorn raised his gaze and [...] what he saw atop that slope was not Leeya the woman... but Leeya the warrior._

 **= oOo =**

The night was deep and the full moon reflected on the gentle waves singing their soothing lullaby to the blinking stars; back and forth... back and forth... back and forth they swayed across the pristine sand, each time leaving behind a quickly receding shadow. Peaceful and perfect was the night, nothing disrupting the eternal cycle of the sea – save for a lone figure walking along the edge of the water, the waves caressing his bare feet. The hem of his turquoise coat, though dragging along the sand, seemed to come alive whenever touched by the salty kisses of the sea, sparkling in joyful tones of blue and green as it floated time and again on the crystal clear water.

By all rights he should not have been there; and yet his master had not had the heart to stop him, after having concealed the truth for so many decades. Did he hate Ulmo for that? Far from it, for he knew the love his master bore him and could not deny that he would have done the same in his position.

Halting in his stride he closed his eyes, letting the rhythm of his beloved sea lull him away from the present, into memory...

 **= Flashback =**

 _The first time he had seen her he believed she was a Maia like him, for surely such beauty could not be possible among the race of Men. Hidden amidst the waves he watched as she ran across the sands with other girls, their laughter mixing with the soothing song of the sea, and yet it was as if she were alone for his eyes could not bear the sight of any other. Many a time he had thought of revealing himself but dared not disobey his master's warning._

 _For Ulmo believed they were not made to mingle with the race of Men, nor even with the pure Elves; too many times the Vala had heard of the sorrow such unions brought, and so he sought to spare his beloved servants from it. And so the Maia tore himself away from the shores of the island that day, but his heart remained heavy with love and desire for the vision of beauty he had beheld upon that beach._

 _And it was not long before he returned, this time to find her sitting alone, watching the sunset over the waters. And in her eyes – dark as the silky veils of Varda – he guessed the same loneliness which had for so many centuries plagued him. So he gathered his courage on that day and revealed himself to her; and upon seeing him approaching along the shore, she seemed surprised for but a moment before her lips settled into a smile which to him was more beautiful than even the mesmerizing sea._

 _But when he was a mere few steps away, she leapt to her feet and – once more smiling at him – ran away toward the village he could see atop the nearby cliff. At first he did not understand why she would flee, when she clearly had not been afraid of him. But in his curiosity, he decided to return the following day. And from then on they played that game for a long while – each day she now returned alone to that beach, as if waiting for him; and yet she fled each day, only allowing him to come one step closer than the day before._

 _But finally the day came when she no longer fled from him, her ebony eyes fixed upon his silvery gaze; for a while they stood there wordless, listening to the waves singing their rhythmic tones and to their hearts beating as one – and he knew in that moment that he would love nothing else more than her, not even the sea, for in his eyes she was the crown jewel of Eru's creation. Upon that thought he reached out, hesitant as though he feared she was only a vision and would fade if he touched her – but then she grasped his hand and placed it upon her cheek._

 _"Ah, a smile at last..."_

 _Her voice caught him off guard, for it was the first time she had spoken to him, and only then did he become aware that she was right._

 _"How could one not smile, in the face of such beauty?"_

 _Again he smiled as his words brought a shade of pale red to her cheeks; but she did not look away, nor did she deny him when he leaned to her... and her lips were sweeter than the purest honey._

 _"Tell me your name, fair maiden, for I will find no rest until I hear it." he asked._

 _"I am Taila of the Dúnedain, my Lord."_

 _"Taila..." he repeated, the sound of her name rolling so smoothly on his tongue being as the most soothing music to his ears._

 **= End of flashback =**

"Taila..." he whispered, but there was no one to answer him other than the waves.

Clutching at his bleeding heart, his beautiful features slowly contorted in pain until his knees gave way under the weight of his sorrow. High in the heavens Tilion watched him and shrouded the moon in a thin veil of cloud, deeply moved by his friend's suffering; and below, far out to sea, two others kept watch over him – Ossë with a grim look, his arm around his wife's shoulders as Uinen too wept for their friend's sorrow – whilst at the edge of the water the waves embraced the Maia's legs as though the sea itself was suffering at his side, adding its mournful song to his soft sobs.

 **= oOoOo =**

A knock on the door startled Leeya that night, but when she turned to sight the Elf standing in the doorway to her room she could not help the hint of disappointment in her heart; for indeed she had hoped it would be another who visited her, despite the late hour.

"Elrohir..." she whispered, a warm smile settling onto her lips.

Walking to meet him, the two shared an embrace before the Elf finally spoke, his hand briefly gliding across her cheek.

"It is good to see you safe, sister."

"Is Lord Elrond upset?"

"To your fortune, he has yet to have the time to be upset; the Halfling was in a dire state when you arrived."

Gingerly grasping her chin when she made to lower her head, he offered a reassuring smile.

"He will recover... Father is nothing, if not a master of healing. And you made it here in time."

Though her smile was hesitant at best, she nodded in agreement and the Elf leaned to place a soft kiss upon her forehead.

"I will leave you to rest; surely you are tired from your struggle at the Ford."

"How do you...?" Leeya blinked in surprise.

"Glorfindel is able to read much into the mind and eyes of his horse. And there are also those here who understand birds and beasts. Did you believe your bravery against the Wraiths would remain a secret?"

"I have done only what anyone would have, in my place."

With a knowing smile Elrohir conceded, not wishing to contradict her; though his gaze told Leeya that he was not the only one to know what had happened on the road. And so he turned to leave, and disappointment again overcame her for he had brought not even a word from Aragorn. But then he stopped just after opening the door and once again faced her.

"Ah, I almost forgot." he smiled with a gaze that let on he was merely jesting in his statement. "Aragorn is on the Moon Terrace. He wished to speak with you but feared you were much too tired. You should go see him."

Taking his leave, he left the young woman standing there whilst her heart now beat heavily against her chest. Surely he was furious that she had forsaken the safety of Rivendell at such a time... and as much as she desired to see the Ranger, she discovered that she was afraid to face him.

"He cannot be worse than the Wraiths..." she murmured, trying to gather her courage.

Oddly comforted by that thought – as silly as it was – she left her chamber and headed for the western terrace which Elrohir had mentioned. It was only when she got to the archway leading outside that she halted in her tracks, her gaze set upon the Dúnadan's back as he stood there, bathed in the moonlight, watching the clear night sky.

 **"Hîr nín..."**

It surprised her that he seemed to hear her trembling whisper – or perhaps he had somehow sensed her presence there – but when he turned to face her she could not have withheld her grin for anything.

 **"Tula sinome, Leeya."** he finally said, his voice soft as the breeze. **"Lav'min tíralle."**

In silence he watched as she shyly stepped out of the shadows, and it was as if the moon now revealed some ethereal vision of beauty to his eyes. For the white of her dress caught the milky light shining upon them, revealing but a faint glimpse of her skin here and there; and the blackness of her hair had turned to velvety silk, begging for his touch. If this was a dream, he wished to never be free of it.

And then she raised her eyes to him, shining like liquid silver, and her gaze struck him to his very core. Gone was the warrior he had seen at the Ford – before him now stood a woman... nay, a Queen; so majestic in her grace and yet so pure in her innocence, as the crown of white flowers weaved into her strands made her appear.

He had thought of scolding her for putting herself in such danger – more so because Glorfindel's words implied she had done it for him; and what man could ever believe he was worth the death of a woman? But now that she was there... now that he could see her so close... now that her gaze pulled him in, urging him to lose himself in her eyes... now he was unable to feel even an inkling of anger toward her.

 **"Manen anír' entiram anta'lle, Hîr nín."**

Her near-whispered words drew him out of his reverie and he all but leapt in surprise when her hand touched to his cheek. And as she smiled her eyes drowned in tears, sparkling like diamonds as they traced her fair cheeks. He barely even noticed when he cupped her face, trapping it between his warm palms and drying her tears; and he could not have held back from embracing her, if it brought about the ending of the world.

 **"Úa nîr, melda... úa nîr."** he whispered into her hair.

"I was so afraid..." she sighed, closing her eyes though her heart leapt in joy at his words.

When she set her hand onto his chest as she murmured those words, he wrapped his fingers around hers and pressed his cheek to her forehead.

"You saw but a glimpse of the dangers of the world. I never wished for you to lay eyes upon the Wraiths, much less do battle with them... and I cannot imagine what I would have done if any harm came to you."

Leaning back to look at him so that he could see the sincere determination in her gaze, Leeya lightly shook her head.

"It was not the Wraiths I feared. I feared for Frodo... I feared for you."

"Leeya..."

"I know what you would say; that I was a fool and I should never have left Rivendell. Forgive me if I angered you by doing so, but I do not regret my decision."

In the way her gaze changed he finally understood that their hearts were as one, united in the same love. But while his chest swelled with joy, fear still slithered its way into his mind; he knew he was not worthy of reclaiming the throne of his bloodline, because of Isildur's betrayal. He could offer her nothing, so why would she choose him?

"Why...?" he began, but found himself unable to finish the question.

Yet she seemed to understand his mind, or perhaps his gaze had betrayed his thoughts, but her answer did nothing to soothe his hesitation.

"Do you not know why?" she said, a shade of smile coming to her lips in spite of the tears twinkling in her eyes, whilst she reached to shyly trail her fingers along his cheek. "How could I ever stay here when you were out there, facing death and in need of aid? I could not bear the thought that you could die... that the memory I fell in love with as I grew up, would remain a memory forever. I had to see you one more time, my Lord... even if I were to perish for it."

* * *

Glossary:

 _Hîr nín_ = My Lord

 _Tula sinome, Leeya_ = Come here, Leeya

 _Lav'min tíralle_ = Let me see you

 _Manen anír' entiram anta'lle, Hîr nín_ = How I have desired to once again look upon your face, my Lord

 _Úa nîr, melda... úa nîr_ = Do not weep, beloved... do not weep

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1. **Savage Kill** \- Well, here it is darling. Hope you didn't get too bored waiting for it ;)

2\. **Lunar678** \- I wish I could update much sooner than I do in general, but I hope you enjoy this chapter and that you'll be looking forward to the next one :D

3\. **angel897** \- Oh thank you so much, love. I was so afraid that by having Leeya basically replace Arwen for that last bit of the journey to Rivendell it would seem too cheesy or just that I was copying what the movie did. That's actually one of the reasons I wanted Glorfindel into the story in the first place (not only because he actually was there), because he played a very important role in that last part of their journey and I felt that Leeya "volunteering" to aid Frodo across the Ford would flow smoother from that, than if I just followed the movie and replaced Arwen with Leeya.

But I'm so happy to hear that it wasn't boring or cheesy. I always am nervous when I write scenes that need to evoke very strong emotions in my readers, so it's always a great relief to hear that I managed to do it :)

4\. **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967** \- Hello, darling. It's been a while since I last saw you. Hope you're doing well and that you're enjoying the story :D

5\. **betsy359** \- Well that's good, it means my skills are improving (hopefully). But I do hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much and that you're looking forward to the next one :D

6\. **unicorn682006** \- Aww thank you so very much for all the love, darling! You have no idea how anxious I was when I first decided to start uploading this story, even after I did a rewrite of the first chapters. And I'm still quite nervous whenever I upload a new chapter, because this story is very near and dear to my heart and I want to write it as best I can.

Now regarding your pet peeve, Tolkien actually used quite a few contractions in the books both in description and in dialogue. That's one of the reasons I thought the movie adaptations were so good, because the writers for the scripts heeded that "rule" of using as few contractions as possible without eliminating them entirely, just as Tolkien did. I'll just give you a couple of examples from the chapter I'm currently using as source material for the Rivendell bit. The excerpts I listed below are from the chapter _Many Meetings_ in _The Fellowship of the Ring_.

 _'Where's Sam?' Frodo asked at length._

 _'You don't know much even about them if you think old Barliman is stupid.' said Gandalf._

 _'I don't know.' Frodo answered. 'They don't feel at all.'_

And these are just a few examples I got from near the beginning of the chapter, where I bookmarked it. There's many other instances in all three books where Tolkien uses contractions. I've seen people going around the Internet saying that Tolkien never used contractions in his writings, but with the books to back me up I beg to differ :)

So I apologize in advance if this will keep annoying you, and I do hope it's not enough of a nuisance as to push you away from the story. I'll keep the contractions to a minimum, just as Tolkien did and as they did in the movies, but expect to see one or two pop up here and there. Ye be warned.

7\. **Arianna Le Fay** \- Haha well Aragorn always knew she was a Dunadan, but yes he did see her in a new light at that moment. Mostly because in Tolkien's world, males (be they Men or Elves - not sure about the Dwarves) are raised to know that women are not warriors; they're wives and mothers and healers, but not warriors... that is "the province of men" as Eomer so eloquently put it xD

And Aragorn would therefore have been raised with that mentality as well. In the canon LotR universe Eowyn is the ONLY woman to ever actually go into battle (other than the female Valar, but that's another story entirely). Even Arwen did no such thing in the books, despite them making her sort-of-a-warrior in the movies. The worst part about it is that I've seen people discussing this issue recently and giving Tauriel (of all people) as an example of "women were warriors too in Tolkien's universe" which is utter bull... because Tauriel is NOT Tolkien's creation, she's a character that the movie producers put in just to force feed us that crappy love triangle with her, Kili and Legolas; and maybe to appease the stupid feminists who were probably bitching about the lack of a "strong female" in the _Hobbit_ trilogy.

But I digress from my rant; yes, that would have come as a huge eye-opener for Aragorn because it was the first time he saw that a woman could be as good a warrior as any man. And well there were other forces at work there as well, but more will become apparent as the story progresses. So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and that you're excited for the next one, darling :D

8\. **kineret** \- Thank you very much, darling. Hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much and that you're looking forward to the next one :D

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


	11. Author's Note 2

**ATTENTION ALL READERS!**

Head over to Wattpad, lovelies... I am making my second attempt at original fiction. I would love to have as many of you with me on this ride as possible.

Whether it's there or here I write for you, because I love making you guys smile and offering you an escape from daily life even if only for a few minutes. And because I write for you, I value each and every one of you, and your opinions mean the world to me. You're the ones who helped me in shaping my stories and honing my skills to what they are today.

And now when I'm taking my second shy step into the world of original fiction, I would love to have you guys along, and to hear your opinions and your ideas. For now the new story only has a prologue published, but (if work doesn't kill me) I'm hoping to have the first chapter up in a couple of days.

You can find me on Wattpad with the same pen name as here – KrystalFlare. Hope to see you all there, darlings, and I'm looking forward to your feedback :D

All my love,

KrystalFlare~


	12. Author's Note 3

**ATTENTION ALL READERS!**

I have a new fanfiction up on Wattpad and that story will be **EXCLUSIVE** to that website. What does that mean? It means I won't be posting it here, so for anyone who's curious head over there and give it a try :)

It's a story based on a game that I've been playing for a few weeks now, and that I simply adore for its intricate simplicity. The game is an Android app - **Shall We Date?: Wizardess Heart+** \- and the story is titled _"The Black Unicorn"_. You don't need to have played the game beforehand, the story works perfectly on its own as well and I'll make sure to reveal the dynamics between characters in the story, for those who haven't played the game but still want to enjoy the story for what it is.

So head over there and let me know what you think of the first chapter, lovelies :D

You can find me on Wattpad with the same pen name as here – KrystalFlare. Hope to see you all there, darlings, and I'm looking forward to your feedback :D

All my love,

KrystalFlare~


	13. This is a dream

Happy Easter, lovelies, to any and all who celebrate it! Hope you had a lovely time with family and friends and that you're enjoying spring (even though here it's a bit cold and rainy these days). I'm not going to rant right now, I did that enough in the review replies :P

So enjoy the chapter, darlings, and don't forget to toss me a little review to let me know what you think :D

Enjoy, lovelies~

P.S. Every _The Lord of the Rings_ character belongs to Sir J.R.R. Tolkien; I only own Leeya :)

* * *

 **9\. This is a dream**

 _"[...] I had to see you one more time, my Lord... even if I were to perish for it."_

 **= oOo =**

"Ah, there she is..."

Startled by Gandalf's voice upon entering Elrond's study, Leeya turned her gaze to the wizard standing near the window and shyly bowed her head, for his gaze told her that word had reached them of the happenings at the Ford. Averting her eyes then to the Elf Lord who had just set the quill aside, she was surprised to read much less anger in his expression than she had anticipated. When he stood she turned her gaze down to the floor, waiting for him to scold her; instead she found herself trapped in his arms, and could swear that the relief he felt was palpable.

"My daughter..." he whispered.

So many emotions mixed in his tone that Leeya knew not which one to acknowledge first, although the tinge of weariness she sensed was enough to gain her attention for now.

"Have you not had any rest, my Lord?"

"The Halfling required much care." he replied, leaning back and glancing over her face as though checking her for any injury or harm. "Good... you are well."

And yet, when his eyes went to her right arm, an almost invisible frown came to his fair features whilst he grasped both her hands.

"This hand is colder..." he said, gesturing to the right one.

"It is likely the price she paid for having the courage to stand against her enemy." the Istar concurred. "But I feel no evil at work over her; a time of rest should be enough to mend it."

"Yes, perhaps you are right."

Bringing up her hand he placed a gentle kiss to her fingers and the young woman felt a pleasant warmth spreading along her arm.

 **"Goheno nín a presta'en, ada."** she whispered.

Sharing a silent glance with her Elrond then finally smiled; he would have scolded her for disobeying him, yet could not bring himself to do it. Perhaps she had foolishly rushed into danger but he could not check a courageous deed with cold counsel. And so he caressed her cheek, his gestures and eyes speaking more than his words could, before leaving to go check on Frodo.

"I suppose you expected to be scolded upon returning."

The wizard's cheerful tone caught her attention once more, and she finally gave in to her own urge to smile.

"I would wager you got an earful from him while I was gone."

"Two earfuls..." Gandalf replied, working to light his pipe. "Once after you left; and again when you returned and we learned you faced the Wraiths at the Ford."

"I suppose everyone here knows of that by now?" she sighed.

"You can be certain songs will be sung about the _Crossing of the Ford_."

"Because I cut down a horse? Is that truly worthy to be put into song?"

"Because you ran back to fight the Wraiths and hold them off, for Frodo's sake, when you had no hope of winning. Because you denied them passage toward Rivendell and gave us time to unleash the river."

When she lowered her gaze, the Maia approached her and set a hand upon her shoulder.

"You may have told Aragorn otherwise, but I know you were afraid. And that is all the more worthy to be put into song... because you were afraid, yet stood your ground where mightier warriors would have fled in terror."

"It was not only the Wraiths which frightened me... it was myself."

"What do you mean?" Gandalf asked, his brow furrowing and his eyes narrowing in thought, as he now searched her face for any trace which might reveal her mind.

"Something rose then from the depths of my blood... something which threatened to overtake me; a hatred so unnatural and so powerful, I feared I would succumb to it."

For a moment the wizard silently gazed into the depths of her eyes, until at long last his brow furrowed slightly.

"Perhaps there is still more to you than we know. We will see what the future brings, but I have faith in you."

He still saw no evil in her, yet now wished he had been there at the Ford to see with his own eyes what had happened. Perhaps her encounter with the Wraiths had affected her more than they could tell and he could only hope that he would not come to regret sending her to Aragorn's aid.

 **= oOoOo =**

"Eärwen!"

Looking up from her book, Leeya felt a smile blossoming on her lips at the sight of Frodo and Sam approaching her. Closing the book and setting it aside in the soft grass she waited for the two to stop nearby and for Frodo to start speaking.

"You certainly are a rare sight around the house."

Her chest quivered in a soft chuckle at the Halfling's words, before she gestured for them to sit with her.

"I am afraid some days I prefer solitude, over the cheer in Lord Elrond's home. But how are you feeling, Master Baggins?"

"As well as I could be... the skill of the Elves is unsurpassed."

"I am happy to hear you are well. Yet I wager you did not seek me out simply to praise Lord Elrond's healing skills."

"You're right... I wanted to thank you for your aid. And to find out who you really are."

The smile which had begun on her lips at his first words now faded into a puzzled glance.

"I have traveled with Aragorn these past weeks... and I've learnt some of the ways of the Rangers. So I trust Eärwen is the same as Strider; a name given to you by those who have no knowledge of your real one."

"I confess I did not expect Hobbits to be such shrewd creatures." she replied, a shade of admiration in her tone. "You are not mistaken, Master Baggins... Eärwen is not the name my parents gave me. I am Leeya of the Dúnedain."

"So you're not an Elf."

Looking over to Sam when he spoke, she once again chuckled.

"You seem disappointed, Master Gamgee... even when surrounded by all the Elves of Rivendell."

"Pay him no mind, my Lady." Frodo replied whilst the plump gardener blushed in embarrassment. "Though I understand what he meant; for while you are of the race of Men, you are fairer than many Elf maidens we have seen here."

"Master Hobbit, you speak as flatteringly as any great Lord of Men." she smiled, seeming quite impressed with his words.

"Mister Frodo's always had a good way with words." Sam agreed with pride.

"I can see that." she giggled. "Take care, Frodo... the hearts of young maidens, such as I, are easily swayed by pretty words."

Apparently not catching her jest right away, the young Hobbits stared at her until a male voice startled them.

"Do not let her fool you, my friends."

Though her heart quivered to see Aragorn approaching them, she nonetheless smiled innocently.

"I was only speaking the truth, my Lord." she retorted. "Have we not heard so many tales of young maidens so easily falling in love with great Lords?"

Seating himself next to them when Frodo and Sam scooted over to let him join the group, the young Ranger lightly shook his head with an amused smile on his lips.

"The same is true in reverse, my Lady." he finally replied, before looking over to the two Hobbits. "It is never easy to win a woman's heart. For even when they fall in love, they are cunning."

When Leeya fell silent and pouted at the undeniable truth of his words, Frodo finally gave in to laughter – a reaction the young woman had been hoping for, to ease his mind away from the terrors of their journey there.

"Then I shall take better care in how I speak to the maidens of Elrond's home, lest I leave Rivendell with a wife."

"Would that be so terrible?" Leeya smiled.

"I fear I have not yet grown enough to make a family. My heart tugs me home to the Shire, yet some small part of it still yearns for adventures even greater than our journey here."

"Your time will come to settle down with a good woman."

Offering a grateful smile to her encouraging words, Frodo spent some time with them telling the story of their journey to Rivendell in detail, at Leeya's request, before his stomach finally convinced him to return to the house in search of food. Now left alone with Aragorn, who seemed to have no intention of following the Hobbits, the young woman rediscovered her shyness and lowered her gaze when he set his eyes upon her.

"What happens now?" she found herself asking, without any conscious intention of speaking.

"That is for Lord Elrond to decide. But my heart tells me he will not keep the Ring here, for it brings too great a danger upon his house."

"What would you have him do?"

When he hesitated to answer, she raised her gaze only to find him watching her – and she knew they were thinking of the same thing. The story so often told in Elrond's home, of the fall of Sauron and Isildur's betrayal.

"I would have him destroy it." the Ranger finally said. "So ardently I wished that the Ring had indeed been lost to the sea; yet I see now how foolish such desire was. For as long as the Ring endures, so do Sauron and his shadow upon Middle Earth. Yet fate now grants us the chance to destroy him forever."

"If he asked it of you... would you do it?"

"I would not dare to keep the Ring; too much has it tainted my bloodline..."

His voice died out when she reached over to grasp his hand, and he could not resist returning her hold even if it killed him.

"Do not give in to fear... you are not Isildur." she said, her silvery gaze boring into his very soul. "You are Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And you _will_ be victorious where Isildur has failed."

And her voice – though only a soft whisper, like the touch of a gentle breeze – renewed his courage, filling his heart with hope and bringing a warm smile to his lips.

"Leeya..." he murmured lovingly.

When he set his hand upon her fair cheek she too smiled and shyly lowered her eyes, only for Aragorn to gingerly grasp her chin; and upon that sensation her gaze darted back to him only to find that he was already leaning to her. She had no time to understand what was happening, when her mind drowned in the warmth of his lips upon hers, filling her ears with the drumming of her own heart and painting her cheeks a delicate shade of rose.

Yet she could not bring herself to even desire for that moment to end, instead only melting in his embrace when his arms circled her. No longer did the world bind them in its confines, for in that moment they were the only ones living within it. Upon that thought the warmth finally faded from her lips leaving only his embrace behind, and her eyelids fluttered open though she dared not look up at him. But then his fingers gingerly traced her cheek, and she sensed the faint tremor in his touch as if he feared she would crumble.

In her desire to reassure him, she gathered the courage to set her eyes upon his only to feel as if she would drown in the depth of his longing gaze, filled with such love as she never had imagined could exist. And she could do nothing but smile, knowing in her heart that so long as he drew breath he would love only her.

"I no longer know if I am awake... or if I strayed into a dream." he finally said.

Letting his eyes roam over her face, he felt the very heart in him quiver. Many times he had looked upon her, but never before had he seen her like this. Never had her skin glowed like fresh snow glistening in the sun; never had her hair shined darker than night's veil, nor had her eyes sparkled more beautifully than the purest water.

"This is a dream..." he whispered longingly, tracing her rosy lips with his thumb. "For you are fairer than the fairest Elf, and such beauty cannot be real."

Taking hold of his hand she placed a loving kiss upon his fingers, and when she smiled at him he believed the sun itself had blessed him to look upon it without burning his eyes – only his heart, now a flame blazing vigorously within his chest.

"Then it is a good dream..."

At her words, ever so lightly quivering in spite of her unwavering smile, he once more set his hands upon her warm cheeks to reassure himself that she was real; that her voice had not put him under some spell and lured him into a mere vision. And when his heart leapt in joy at the knowledge that she was indeed there, her bashful smile drawing him in like an enchantment he willingly submitted to, he simply had to once more claim her lips for his own.

* * *

Glossary:

 _Goheno nín a presta'en, ada =_ Forgive me for worrying you, father.

* * *

Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D

1. **babynora1983** \- I never said the women of Tolkien's universe were not strong, darling. I said they were not warriors, which is a difference. Women for Tolkien had no need to take up a sword and a shield and join the men on the battlefront, because they had their very specific set of strengths - inner strengths, not physical ones. And if you look throughout history in general, the greatest female figures in history are not those who went on the battlefield and killed men with swords and maces... the women considered the strongest are the ones who were intelligent and could sway even the most powerful of men to do their bidding.

So don't get me wrong, women in Tolkien's universe were very strong, just not in the same way as men were. As I said, Eowyn is the only female character in the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy to be described as disguising herself as a man and taking up a sword to fight. And women were the ones raising men with the mentality that "war is the province of men".

Even the great Aragorn was raised with that mentality, and while they didn't show it in the movies in the books it's obvious especially when Eowyn asks him to let her join him on the Paths of the Dead. He pretty much tells her it's her **DUTY** to stay behind, whereas he would never have said that to another man. And Eowyn even calls him out on it, when he's basically just being sexist (because yes, in Tolkien's time when he wrote these books, the world was sexist that's how they were raised and it shows in his works).

If anything, the movies greatly undermined Eowyn's true character and made her much weaker than she was portrayed in the books. That's one of the things I hope I'll manage to rectify in my story. Because for me, strength in a character - and especially in a female character - is not about their ability to hit and kill things. It's about their complexity, their flaws and how they manage to better themselves and maybe those around them.

There are a lot of nuances in the mentality of Tolkien's universe that were never touched upon in the movies, likely for lack of time or maybe people just didn't notice them. My point is, the _Lord of the Rings_ universe as a whole is presented from a very masculine point of view. As much as some may try to deny it, Tolkien's world is ruled and controlled by men, not by women; and what makes a woman strong in that world is her ability to live and influence those around her without the use of weapons.

Now regarding Tauriel and the idea that she was added to show that not all Dwarves hated the Elves... hmm I'll say that's pretty obvious in the book, without Tauriel being needed. If they had kept Thranduil's actual personality in the movies, instead of making him a wholly self-centered a-hole, maybe they would have noticed that not all the Dwarves in Thorin's Company dreaded that much being in Mirkwood. Some of them actually had nothing against the Elves, because the whole conflict they issued in the movies where Thranduil refused to help when Smaug attacked Erebor, didn't exist in the book at all.

Elves and Dwarves in Tolkien's universe were never the best of friends, but neither did they hate one another outright like how they hated the Orcs for example. And in the book this is very much apparent, especially considering Thranduil did NOT imprison them right off the bat, like in the movie. No, at first he only imprisoned Thorin **AFTER** the Dwarf Prince insulted him and generally just treated him like dirt on the ground. But when the others were captured in the forest by Elves, Thranduil had them unbound and treated them as his guests, until they angered him by being impolite and surly at which point he did imprison them. But in all honesty, I would have done the same in that situation, because Thranduil took them into his home, fed and watered them and treated them with all the respect given to guests, yet they were a bunch of manner-less douches to him.

So for me Tauriel was just invented because either someone really wanted an OC and a love triangle in there, or simply because after the first movie they realized they added an unnecessary conflict between Elves and Dwarves, and needed a way to clean their mess.

Wow, this was a really long rant I didn't expect to go on this much. But yeah, that's my view of Tolkien's world in a nutshell :P I am so happy though, that you enjoyed the story so far and I really hope you'll enjoy what's to come as well.

2\. **Amanda** \- Aww I'm so sorry it took this long to update, darling. Hopefully I'll have the next one up sooner, although with how work is I can't tell anymore.

3\. **Hachiko33200** \- No worries, your English is great, love. But well, that's an easy question - Elrond lied to Leeya for the same reason he lied to Arwen in the movies. Because he raised Leeya as his own child, so he loves her as if she's his own flesh and blood. So of course the father in him wouldn't want to leave her behind to die, but would desire for her to live forever.

As for why he would want her to choose Glorfindel... well the answer is tied to what I said before, but I'm not going to say it outright because it might spoil the story. So sorry, you'll have to wait till it's addressed in the actual story :P

4\. **Arianna Le Fay** \- Well her mother is a Dunadan, as it's plainly stated in the previous chapter. But as for her father... well I intentionally left out his name for now, to keep up the suspense. Although I'm sure many of my readers have already made the connection of who he is.

I'm always just dying to gush about my story ideas, but at the same time I know that it's not okay to spoil things for my readers. So I'm sorry, but I can't tell you who he actually is if you haven't figured it out on your own... you'll have to wait :P

5\. **kineret** \- Aww thank you so very much for the kind words. I'm hoping you enjoyed this one as well, darling :D

6\. **angel897** \- Well it was about time they got some "alone time", wasn't it? ;) I'll see how the story flows but they might get another couple of moments alone before the Fellowship sets out. But we'll have to wait and see~

7\. **unicorn682006** \- Haha, no worries darling. I sometimes end up ranting a lot more than I expect to and I always hope I don't come across as overly serious or condescending, because that's not my intention. I'm just very passionate about Tolkien's writings and I spent a lot of time doing research on him and his works before I gathered the courage to actually write this story. So sometimes I end up rambling about stuff too much :P

And darling, never sell yourself short. You're wonderful and awesome in your very own unique way. It's good to learn from others, but never compare yourself to anyone, whether you admire them or not, because that will just blindside you to your own strengths and your own talents. We all started at the bottom, even if sometimes you may find someone who seems so good at what they do that they seem to have been born doing it. They too had to go through a time when they were learning and making mistakes and failing.

So never say that you'll never be as good as me or any other writer, because that's simply not true. I understand it's hard to not compare yourself with others, I do that too quite often, but I always try to remind myself that I have my own talent and that I need to grow. And comparing myself to say, someone like Tolkien, won't help me grow as a writer... what will help me is to learn from Tolkien and mold that knowledge to my own writing style.

The important thing is to never give up, no matter how bad you think your writing is. Don't give up! Just keep writing and reading and practicing, because practice makes perfect. Some of my oldest stories on this website were written so long ago that now I look at them and just cringe at the thought that I wrote that. But I didn't remove them for rewrites, because it serves as a reminder - not just for me but also for my readers - of how long a way I've come through sheer practice of my craft.

But yes, see? I ended up rambling again xD The idea is to just not give up, to keep going and to keep writing! :D

8\. **animefreak10000** \- Aww I'm so happy to hear that, darling :D I really hope what's to come will be just as entertaining for you and that I'll manage to keep the characters true to themselves.

9\. **LucyXHeartifiliaXFan** \- Hehe yes, I do play it. I don't know if I mentioned it during this story, but I'm a huge fan of otome games and visual novels in general. Especially if they have a good story, and some of them are really rare gems that you may only find once in your life.

As for who is my favorite... well, I'm sure you'll be able to tell from the story, though it might not be readily apparent from the very first chapters ;P

So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤


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